Bruised But Not Broken
by RoseRae2013
Summary: Nathan Scott changed once he was drafted into the NBA, and it didn't go unnoticed by his wife. She gave him a choice, and he walked away. But now that his basketball career has been taken away, will Nathan be able to make it up to Haley and Jamie?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

* * *

Nathan Scott still couldn't believe the words he'd heard three days ago. He never expected that they would come so early; he was only twenty-four, for God's sake. His professional basketball career had lasted approximately two years, and now it was all over. He'd given up everything to pursue the game that had been with him through everything he'd been put through as a child. He loved it. In a way, the game had made him who he was today. Of course, that wasn't the only contributing factor. It wasn't even the biggest. He knew who that was, but lately he had trouble admitting it. The pain he'd caused others in the past was too much. Forgiveness was impossible. It had been two years since he'd seen his son and the boy's mother. Sure, he'd tried to call on holidays and on the boy's birthday, but the NBA kept him busy. Apologies over the telephone never meant anything, especially not to her. And he couldn't blame her. Three days ago, when he'd been told that his career was over because of his bad back, he had realized for the first time ever how horrible he must've made their lives. He'd had to make a choice, and as he sat on the couch in his penthouse emptying another bottle of beer, Nathan Scott knew that it had been the wrong one.

* * *

"Hales? You home?" Lucas called out, letting himself into the apartment. He didn't hear a reply, but he instantly heard little feet padding down the hallway. Jamie.

"Uncle Lucas!" the boy shouted with an excited smile. Behind him, his red cape lifted into the air as he ran. When he reached the man, he jumped into his arms and hugged him.

Lucas smiled at his nephew and returned the anxious embrace. "Hey, buddy," he said as he placed him back on the ground and ruffled his hair. "Is your mom home?"

Jamie shook his head and walked over to the couch in the living room, jumping onto the piece of furniture. Cartoons were playing on the television, and he was instantly in a trance.

Lucas shook his head amusedly at the boy's actions and then walked into the kitchen, where he found a tall blonde cooking breakfast. "Hey, Dane. Where's Haley?"

The muscular man flipped a pancake and then walked to Lucas, giving his friend a man-hug. "Hey, man. I think she's still out shopping with your girl. They probably won't be back for hours." He smirked.

Luke laughed and shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Brooke does tend to go a little overboard with the shopping. But she always looks damn sexy, so it makes up for it."

Dane let out a chuckle and put Jamie's pancakes on a plate with some syrup. "Here you go, buddy," he said, placing the food on the table in the other end of the kitchen. Jamie jumped up from his place on the couch and took his seat at the table, immediately shoving a large bite of pancake into his mouth.

"Listen, um…do you mind if I wait here for Hales?" Lucas asked. "I've got some stuff to talk to her about, and I'm leaving later this afternoon so I can't really come back."

Dane turned the stove off and nodded his head. "Sure, that's fine. Actually, I would love to go get in some gym-time if you wouldn't mind watching Jamie. I mean, if you're going to be here anyways…"

"Sounds like a deal, man," Lucas answered with a nod.

Once Dane was gone and Jamie had finished his breakfast, the boy picked out his clothes and got dressed. "Uncle Lucas, do you want to play the Wii with me? Dane and Momma never want to anymore."

Lucas smiled at his nephew. "Sure thing, Jamie."

* * *

Haley James said goodbye to her best friend before heading up the steps to her third floor apartment. Three large shopping bags were in her left hand while she fumbled with her keys in the other. It took her a few minutes to finally get the right one before letting herself into the apartment. What she saw made her smile. Jamie was standing on the couch with a victorious smile on his face, while Lucas sat on the couch looking disappointed.

"Not again!" Luke said, throwing his hands up. He shook his head. "You've got too much free time, little man."

When the door shut, Jamie jumped off the couch and turned his head. "Momma! I beat Uncle Lucas five times in a row!"

Haley put the bags down by the door and tossed her keys on the coffee table. "Wow. Good job, baby!" She smirked when she saw Lucas cross his arms and narrow his eyes at the boy.

"He totally cheated," the man accused. "No six-year-old wins five games in a row against me."

Jamie rolled his eyes playfully. "You just suck."

"Hey, don't say suck," Haley scolded seriously. "I think Lucas has had about enough of your beatings anyways. How about you go play in your room for a while?"

"Okay, Momma," the boy answered before running energetically to his room down the hall.

Lucas stood up and turned the television and game console off. Then he retrieved the controllers and put them back in their original places before turning to his best friend who was looking at him quizzically.

"Where's Dane?"

"Oh, he went to the gym. I told him I was going to wait here for you, and I said I'd be fine to watch Jamie until you got back."

"Oh." Haley walked to the kitchen and cleared the kitchen table where Jamie had eaten his breakfast. "Well, thanks Luke. You didn't have to do that. What did you need?" She already knew the answer to her question but simply hoped she was wrong in her suspicions.

Lucas sighed and stepped closer to her, leaning against the counter. "Did you see it last night?" he asked quietly.

She stopped what she was doing and turned the faucet off, gripping the countertop. She turned to him, biting her lip. "You know I did."

He uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands in his pockets nervously. "I'm going to see him, Hales."

"What the hell do you mean? Why?" she spat out.

He met her gaze. "Because he needs me to talk some sense into him and be there for him. He just lost everything, Haley. I can only imagine how he's taking it. He needs some guidance. I might be able to give him some advice about what his next move should be."

Haley shook her head. "I don't believe you, Lucas. He just lost everything?" She paused, looking down at the ground. "He lost everything the day he walked out the door. Quite frankly, I don't give a shit what he does next. And I hope he's miserable; I really do. After what he put me through, he deserves a lot more than losing a stupid game."

"You don't mean that," he whispered.

She laughed sardonically. "No, believe me I do. He made his choice, and if what you're going there for is to try and convince him to come back and become some sort of hero, don't do it. It's been two years, and I'm not about to let that happen. I deserve better than him. And so does Jamie."

"Oh, and what's better?" he mumbled. "Dane? Haley, we all know about what happened three months ago. As if it wasn't obvious on your face. Things like that don't happen just once. What happens when he starts in on Jamie, huh? Nathan would never lay a hand on either one of you, and you know it."

"Don't act like you know the ins and outs of our relationship, okay? I forgave him, and so should you guys. It's not going to happen again."

Lucas shook his head. "Who knew the genius Haley James could be so naïve? What, Dane's good enough to be forgiven but Nathan isn't?"

"Stop saying his name," she mumbled as tears started to form. She didn't dare let them fall.

Lucas walked toward the door, and she followed. "Whatever. It's not like you're going to change my mind about this. I'm going to see him." He put a hand on the doorknob.

"I guess you finally decided whose side you're on then," she said a little louder as he opened the door. He didn't bother to answer as he left.

Haley took a shaky breath and wiped her eyes. She wouldn't cry. She was over it, and she was over him. And she would do anything to convince herself of it.

* * *

Nathan looked around his apartment from his perch on the couch. He hadn't realized just how many beers he'd had in the past ninety-six hours. There was one empty pizza box lying open on the coffee table. He hadn't felt much like eating. He'd developed a sort of cycle: drink, sleep, wake up, cry, drink a little more, and sleep again. He wasn't crying because of basketball. Of course he was upset about it, but the ache in his heart was one that not even basketball could mend. The hole was too big, and after realizing the previous day that he literally hadn't seen Haley or Jamie in two years everything had gone downhill. And the memories of that time came flooding back more vividly than ever.

_Haley sat up in bed as she heard the front door click shut. The room was pitch black, and her eyes were wide open straining to make out the figure that had just entered through the doorway. It didn't help. She knew that he was trying to be as quiet as possible, but how could she be sleeping? It was the fourth night that week that Nathan had been out this late with no logical excuse for doing so. Haley didn't want to believe her husband would cheat on her, but she was starting to seriously doubt him. He'd been drunk two of those times, and without even getting close to him she could tell he was again. The scent was overwhelming. _

"_Nathan," she whispered from her spot on the bed. _

_He stopped in his tracks and held on to the side of the bed to steady himself. "Hales, go back to sleep. We'll talk in the morning." He began to unbutton his shirt._

"_Or we'll talk right now. Go turn the light on." She knew the situation had to be dealt with right then. It couldn't wait any longer. She wasn't happy, and she knew Jamie wasn't either._

"_Haley-"_

"_Turn the light on, Nathan," she said forcefully, still not moving. _

_Nathan knew that tone, and it made him nervous. So he did as he was told and made his way back to the light switch, flipping it on. Both of them covered their eyes instinctively until they'd had time to adjust to the brightness. "Jesus, can you make it quick before I'm blinded?" Nathan mumbled, finally uncovering his eyes. _

_Haley swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up with her arms still crossed over her chest. "Nathan, this isn't working," she said quietly._

_His confused expression gave away everything he was thinking, as did his words. "What the hell are you talking about, Haley? It's the middle of the night, and I just want to go to bed. I don't have time for this. Not to mention the fact that practice starts tomorrow." _

"_Exactly," she replied. "It's the middle of the night, Nathan. And you just got home. You've obviously been drinking heavily, so I know you weren't doing something responsible that your coach knows about. This is the fourth time this week. And you're never home during the day either. I miss you." She paused. "Your son misses you."_

_Nathan sighed agitatedly. "I'm not really sure what you want from me, but I'm in the NBA now. I can't be on call for you twenty-four hours a day; it's just not possible. The team is my priority."_

"_What, so that means you have to go out and get wasted every night with a bunch of whores? Is that really because of your dedication to the team, Nathan? Because I have a hard time believing that excuse. And if the team is your new number one priority and your family isn't, then I'm not sure we should even be a family anymore."_

_He threw his hands up in the air. "What are you, on crack? I've been with the team for like a month, and you're already bitching about it. I never said you and Jamie aren't important to me, but I've got other people to please."_

"_Wow," Haley mumbled with a sardonic smile. "You know what, Nathan? If pleasing those other people is so damn important to you, then how about you just leave? Then you won't have to think about me and Jamie, and we won't have to tie you down any longer, since it's such a heavy burden for you. And hey, you can fuck anybody you want."_

_Nathan groaned. "I'm not interested in fucking anybody, Haley. If you would listen to what I'm saying, you would know that. Maybe if you could just let me have this and not think about yourself for once, we could all be happy." _

"_Oh yeah, I'm just so selfish. Is that why I gave up music for you? Yeah, that must be it. I'm just so damn selfish." She rolled her eyes._

"_Shut up!" he yelled. _

_Haley was a bit taken aback. They'd said some harsh things, but no yelling had been involved thus far. She was angry though, and she was tired of putting up with him and his precious basketball. The NBA had changed him, and she wasn't sure if she could be with this new Nathan. She shook her head and crossed her arms again. "Nathan, I'm only going to say this once," she said quietly. "If you want to continue living the life you're living now, then you can leave. Because I don't need it, and neither does Jamie. He deserves better than that, and deep down I think you know that. But I've gotten a taste of this life, and it's not happening, Nathan. You need to make a choice."_

_Nathan shook his head, not knowing if it was him or the alcohol talking. "Why are you such a bitch, huh? I'm trying to live my dream and have the one thing that I've always wanted, and you're trying to take it away. What gives you the fucking right? I never asked for this," he said, motioning around the room. "And I never asked for you."_

_It was then that Haley felt tears spring to her eyes. "You need to leave," she whispered. _

_He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'll sleep on the couch, and we can talk tomorrow when you're not being such a horrendous bitch."_

"_I'm serious," she said with more force. "Get out, Nathan. You're right; you never asked for me. And you never asked for Jamie. You've made your choice pretty clear. Go play basketball, and you can just have your wish. We won't bring you down anymore."_

Thinking back, Nathan wished he hadn't been drinking that night. And he wished that he would've said something – anything – when she told him to leave that last time. But he had just scoffed and walked out. And that was the last time he'd seen his wife. And even if he managed to see her again, she wasn't his wife anymore. She wasn't Haley James Scott, and he couldn't really blame her.

A loud knock broke him out of his reverie. He debated on whether or not to answer the door, but eventually he stood up and opened it. You would think that seeing his brother, who he also hadn't seen in two years, would cause him to be ecstatic. However, he felt absolutely nothing as he backed away from the door and stared at Lucas.

Taking the situation into his own hands, Lucas walked in and shut the door behind him. He looked at his brother. "Dude, you look like ass. So does your apartment," he added, glancing around.

"Wow, it's great to see you, too," Nathan deadpanned. He returned to his spot on the couch and turned the television on.

Lucas followed and turned the television off almost right after it was turned on. He received a glare from his brother but only rolled his eyes and hid the remote behind his back. "How are you,  
Nate?" he asked carefully.

"Oh, I'm fucking great," Nathan answered sarcastically. "What the hell does it look like?"

His brother rolled his eyes again and sighed. "I didn't come here for a pity party, Nathan. I know that you lost basketball, and I know that you're hurting. I came to see if you're okay and to talk some sense into you. Because I can guarantee you that what you're feeling now is nothing compared to what Haley and Jamie have felt for the past two years."

Nathan glared at him again. "I know I made a mistake. There's nothing I can do about it now. It's over."

"Oh, really? There's nothing you can do?" Lucas sighed. "I disagree. Jamie needs his dad, Nathan. If you think someone's going to be able to take your place in that boy's life, you're wrong."

"You don't know anything about it," Nathan spat. "So just shut up."

"Hmm…again I disagree. And do you know why? Because I've been in Tree Hill for the last two years with your wife and your son. I've seen them every day, and do you know what I've seen? I've watched Jamie ask his mom every day where Daddy is and when Daddy's coming home and if Daddy still loves him. And her heart breaks every single time. Haley needs you, too, whether she knows it or not."

Nathan looked up angrily. "No she doesn't. And if you value your life at all, you won't say her name around me anymore. They don't need me. No one needs me."

"I'm not buying it, Nathan," Lucas answered with a shake of his head. "You want me to feel sorry for you, and it's not going to happen. And I don't care how long I have to stay with you in this shithole. You're going to get some things through that thick head of yours."

His brother shook his head. "You're saying it's not all over for me. And I'm saying that you're wrong. What the hell could I possibly do to fix the past?"

Lucas squeezed his brother's shoulder and gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Come back to Tree Hill with me."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! They definitely made me happy, and I look forward to more of them! Here is Chapter 2 & please review.**

* * *

Lucas sighed heavily and threw himself onto Nathan's couch; he was exhausted. It had taken him almost two full days to convince his brother to come back to Tree Hill with him, and even then he'd had some reservations. However, Luke had had a lot of time to think during his long drive from Tree Hill to New York a few days ago. And he had put together a strong case with arguments from all angles that Nathan simply couldn't deny. First, Lucas had to promise that he would let his brother stay with him and Brooke and wouldn't make him go to Haley's until he was completely ready to do so. He had made several completely true comments about how much Jamie missed his father, and admittedly he may have thrown in some tiny fibs about Haley's missing him as well. In Lucas's mind, she never said out loud that she missed her ex-husband, but he knew that in her heart she did. Also, he'd conveniently left out the part about Haley's boyfriend who she'd been dating for almost a year and who lived in the apartment with her and Jamie. Lucas was smart enough to realize that that would be a deal-breaker. He sighed again as he waited for Nathan to get ready. He wanted to get back to Tree Hill as soon as possible. He'd tried to call Haley multiple times, and she refused to answer any of them. Besides all of the drama with his best friend and his brother, he missed his girlfriend. The trip had been pretty impromptu, and he felt guilty for leaving her home alone for two days on such short notice, but he figured she had a lot of work to attend to anyways.

When Nathan finally emerged from his bedroom for the fourth time that day, he had changed into his pajamas again. Seeing Lucas's irritated expression, he spoke. "Luke, I just can't face them yet, okay? It's embarrassing. What am I supposed to say when I see her? She doesn't want an apology from me."

Lucas stood up and shook his head. "Nathan, you've had two long years to prepare yourself for this, so I don't want to hear any excuses. What's left for you here in New York? I'll tell you: one night stands, a shitload of money, and this penthouse. Is that really all you've got to live for?" He paused for effect. "As for the apology, so what if she doesn't want to hear it? That's only because she's heard it so many times before without you following through. If you show her that you can make it up to her and Jamie and actually make a commitment and stick to it, you'll be golden. I'm not taking no for an answer this time."

His brother's words only made Nathan feel worse. He knew he deserved to feel that way though. Instead of answering, he nodded solemnly and went to change his clothes and pack his bags.

Lucas awarded himself a smile of satisfaction once his brother left the room and sat back down on the couch. He pulled out his cell phone and contemplated calling Haley again. "It's worth a shot," he mumbled to himself, pressing the speed dial. Surprisingly, it only rang once before he got an answer, but it wasn't Haley's voice he heard. He furrowed his brow. "Dane, uh…hey. What's up? Where's Hales?"

"Hey, man. She's just a little busy right now, if you know what I mean," Dane answered, slightly out of breath.

Again, Lucas was puzzled. "Um…alright. Well, can you have her call me back then?"

"You got it."

Lucas heard the phone click and then hung up himself. He stared at his phone, bewildered. Of course, he knew what Dane was referring to. Anyone could've picked up on it. But that's why Lucas was confused. He knew for a fact that Haley hadn't slept with him. She and Brooke had had several conversations about it, during which Haley stated that she simply wasn't ready to let him in physically. Brooke had willingly shared the information with her boyfriend, since he promised not to give away his knowledge of the situation. So why had Dane said that? Had Haley changed her mind already? Lucas found himself getting angry. He already had a huge problem with the guy, and he didn't want him hurting his best friend more than he already had.

"I'm ready," Nathan announced, setting his bags down by the front door. He glanced at Luke. "What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

His head snapped up and then his body followed suit. "Uh, yeah I'm fine. Just, um…ready to get out of here," he stuttered. He made his way to the door after grabbing his keys. "Let's go, little brother."

* * *

"_You seriously need to keep your voice down," Haley whispered forcefully. "Jamie will not go back to sleep if you wake him up now."_

_Dane shook his head and kept his voice at the same volume. "Don't tell me what to do. I think I have a right to be upset after you practically made out with that jackass at the party," he spat angrily._

_Haley was not about to back down. He had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. "I'm sorry; were we at the same party? Because I'm pretty sure all I did was have a five-second conversation with one of your co-workers. Oh no, you're right; I apologize. I forgot that I wasn't allowed to speak to anyone of the opposite sex unless it's you," she replied sarcastically._

"_It was more than that, and you know it," Dane said, his voice still rising in volume. "And it better not happen again. You have no idea what I'm capable of, and I don't think you want to make me angry."_

_Even then, she wasn't scared. She and Dane had fought numerous times before, and they'd always found a way to resolve the issue. Nothing had ever gotten too intense. She peeked into Jamie's room before returning to theirs and shutting the door. "Seriously, Dane, can you please keep your voice down? I'm tired, and I don't want to deal with him right now."_

_It was then that his muscular hand slapped her across the face. Then he stepped closer to her, causing her back to hit the wall. "I told you not to tell me what to do," he muttered through clenched teeth. _

_Shock was the only word to describe what Haley felt in that moment. Wait, no…there was also a sharp sting on her cheek. She didn't know what to say or do to ensure that he wouldn't do it again. So she just spat out the first words that popped into her head. "What the hell is your problem? I didn't even do anything. Just because you _think _you saw something at a party doesn't mean it actually happened. I'm not a whore." _

_Those weren't the right words, apparently. Dane took her shoulders firmly and shoved her against the wall again. "Shut your mouth!" he yelled. When she started to defend herself verbally again, he figured she just wasn't getting the point. Another blow ought to do the trick, right? This time, it wasn't just a shove or a slap though. It was a full-force punch. _

"_Bitch," he muttered before leaving the room and the apartment._

_The blow had caused Haley to shrink back to the ground. She knew she was bleeding; she could taste it. Tears streamed down her face out of sheer pain. Dane was strong, and he could throw one hell of a punch. She'd seen him take it out on other guys before but never a woman, and never her. After sitting there for a few minutes, she slowly made her way into the bathroom to examine her face. It didn't look pretty._

_After cleaning it up and putting everything away, Haley turned to go back into the bedroom and saw her son standing in the doorway. He looked terrified. "Momma?" he whispered._

Trying to keep herself from crying after reimagining the event from three months ago, Haley wiped her eyes fiercely as she sat up in bed alone. Jamie was asleep, and Dane was gone. It was late. For the most part, though, the fresh tears didn't stem from the memory she'd just reevaluated. Instead, they took root with the more recent event which had only occurred about an hour ago. That's why Dane was gone; he was angry again. She didn't know why. Instead of caring about his reasons, she sank into the covers and shut her eyes tight, hoping it would take the pain away.

* * *

"There's something you should know," Lucas said as he and Nathan sat in his car outside of Haley's apartment. He was absolutely dreading telling Nathan about Dane, but he didn't want the guy to have a heart attack when he saw the tall blonde in his ex-wife's apartment. Mostly, he hadn't been sure if he would be able to tell Nathan about him without relaying the incident to him as well. But he knew he had to force himself to suppress it. It wasn't his place.

"Yeah?" Nathan looked across the console at his brother. He was an absolute nervous wreck. He still didn't know what he would say to Haley, or even Jamie for that matter. He imagined the younger one would be more excited about his unexpected visit. Apparently, Haley hadn't been informed. His foot tapped against the floorboard incessantly.

Lucas took a deep breath. "She has a boyfriend," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" Nathan leaned over, hoping he'd heard wrong.

Turning the car off, he repeated, "Haley has a boyfriend. They've been dating for almost a year. He…lives with them."

Nathan's eyes widened. "Are you fucking serious, Luke? You're just now telling me about this? What the hell? I can't go in there."

"Nathan, if I would have told you earlier you would've backed out, and I'm not letting that happen," Lucas stated firmly. "Let's go. You can handle it. He's probably at the gym anyways. He works out like seventeen hours a day."

They both got out of the car and started towards the steps. "This just keeps getting better and better," the younger one murmured.

At least Lucas had been right about Dane: he wasn't home. Haley didn't answer the door until about five minutes after they'd knocked, and she looked a little disheveled. Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and she wore a heavy sweatshirt and a pair of soffe shorts.

She yawned. Then she was finally able to make out the two figures in front of her. "Wh-"

Before she could get her thoughts out, a small voice rose from behind her. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! You're back!"

Nathan held his son for what seemed like an hour. When he pulled away, it still didn't seem long enough. However, he figured it had been a few minutes. The front door had been shut, and Haley and Lucas were watching silently. "Hey, buddy," he said when they pulled apart. "I missed you like crazy."

Jamie's smile was priceless. "I missed you, too, Daddy. Do you want to play with me?"

"Jamie, go finish your breakfast," Haley ordered, pointing to the kitchen.

"But-"

"Now," she demanded louder.

The boy sauntered off into the kitchen and took his seat at the table.

Lucas could tell that something seemed a little off about Haley. For one thing, she was wearing a sweatshirt. It was ninety degrees outside. And she had a small cut on the bottom of her lip. "Hales, why are you wearing a sweatshirt? Do you know how hot it is?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I got cold," she mumbled.

He eyed her carefully before his mind traveled to Dane. He reached for her arm and began to roll up the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"Lucas," she warned, yanking her arm away. "Stay out of it. Speaking of things that aren't your business, what the hell is he doing here?" She refused to look at Nathan.

"You know, I am actually in the room," Nathan volunteered, taking a step closer.

"Don't talk to me," she muttered coldly and stepped away. She looked at Lucas expectantly.

"Hales, I'm sorry to just show up with him like this," Lucas started. "But you guys have issues you need to work out. And Jamie was happy to see him. That's worth something, right?"

"Of course Jamie was happy to see him," came a male voice. They all turned to see the blonde man shutting the front door. "He disappeared for two fucking years. Not exactly father of the year material, dude."

Nathan scoffed. "You don't know anything about me, prick."

Dane ignored him and turned to Haley, stepping closer to give her a peck on the lips. Just in time though, she backed away and he was left hanging in the air. He sighed, knowing fully why she was upset with him. "Babe, can we please talk in the other room for a second?"

"No," she answered quickly. "In fact, how about all three of you just stay the hell away from me?" She made her way down the hall and to her bedroom, slamming the door shut and locking it.

"Nice work, dick," Nathan muttered to the stranger.

Dane rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm the reason she's so upset," he said sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure that's you, smart one."

"Nathan's right," Lucas chimed, stepping closer to his best friend's boyfriend. "And you need to leave."

Dane did his best to look innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about, dude."

Lucas crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, I think you do. Maybe you think I haven't caught on, but I have. And I'm not going to sit here and watch it happen. Haley's my best friend."

The man rolled his eyes. "If you think she feels more for you than for me, you're sadly mistaken. She'd pick me over you any day."

Nathan was watching the unpleasant exchange, trying to figure out what they were talking about. He'd also noticed the awkwardness between his brother and Haley when he'd brought up the sweatshirt she was wearing. He didn't see what the big deal was. She was cold, so she got a sweatshirt. It was nothing to get upset about. He could tell that Dane had done something to piss Lucas off, but he had absolutely no clue what it was.

"Now who's lying to himself?" Lucas wondered aloud.

Dane shook his head and backed into the hallway. "Whatever, dude. I'm going to go take a shower." He paused. "Hey, if you see Haley, tell her to join me." He smirked, locking eyes with Nathan.

Lucas knew he would never say any of those things to him in front of Haley. Somehow, that made it worse in his eyes. "Dick," he mumbled.

"What the hell is his problem?" Nathan asked, looking at his brother. The whole shower thing had really gotten to him. He knew they were dating, and he knew they were living together, but all the information was still relatively new to him. He was still trying to figure it all out. And picturing Haley sleeping with another man, especially that one, was not something he could put himself through. Sure, he'd had numerous hookups since the breakup, but he always held onto the hope that she hadn't done the same thing. That he was still her one and only.

He couldn't dwell on it for much longer, as Jamie came rushing out of the kitchen to stand in front of his dad. "I finished my breakfast." He smiled widely. "Now do you want to play with me, Daddy?"

Nathan shook his previous thoughts and decided to focus on his son. After all, it had been two years. "Of course," he answered with a genuine smile.

* * *

If it hadn't been for Jamie, Haley would have been out of there two seconds after she'd seen Nathan's face. She especially wouldn't have stayed for the fun festival that was her boyfriend, best friend, and ex-husband in the same room together. She was becoming extremely stressed and really couldn't handle it all. She couldn't believe that Lucas would deliberately go behind her back and not even give her some sort of warning that he was bringing Nathan all the way from New York to come to her apartment. Even a subtle hint would have been better than nothing. She honestly didn't feel much toward Nathan except that she didn't want to see him. However, when she'd first seen his face, a part of her had wanted to pretend that nothing had ever gone wrong. She'd wanted to embrace the father of her child and act like all was forgiven, but it was impossible. Because it wasn't true, in the slightest. She didn't even want to think about her boyfriend. Last night had been strike number two, and she wasn't sure if she could make it to three. It was more painful than the first, but thankfully Jamie hadn't woken up. She didn't want to be the weak one who stayed with a guy who hit her because she believed things would get better, but she realized that things were headed that way. She still liked Dane, and she wanted to give him another chance. She just wasn't sure if she could physically take anymore of his crap. She had no idea what she was going to do with Nathan in town. She didn't even know how long he was staying. However, even with all of this stress, she refused to cry again; she'd done plenty of that last night. But her mind just wouldn't stop. Then she remembered that it was Sunday and she still had papers to grade. Of course. The drama at home wasn't enough. She had to get it from work, too.

"When did things become so complicated?" she whispered to herself as she lay in bed under the covers. She'd removed her sweatshirt, and now the bruises down her arms and on her chest were clearly visible to the world. Luckily, someone long ago had created locks. Therefore, Haley could keep the outside world away for the moment and just be alone. She wanted nothing more than to just make it all go away. So she closed her eyes and let sleep take her over.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again, guys! I am having a blast writing this story. Please continue reviewing. Even if you don't realize it, they give me inspiration and new ideas for the story. So let me know your thoughts.**

_

* * *

_

"Woo hoo!" Jamie shouted.

It was game night at Haley and Dane's, as it was almost every Friday night. And Jamie was extremely excited, as he always was, but especially so since his mom and dad were both present.

Nathan had been back in Tree Hill for almost a week, and still no progress had been made with his and Haley's relationship. In fact, they hadn't uttered a word to each other. Nathan was too frightened of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. The last thing he wanted to do was piss her off further. Haley, on the other hand, simply didn't want to speak to him. She was glad he was spending time with Jamie again because it made their son happy, but that was the extent of it.

After a few days of not talking with her best friend, Haley decided to call a truce as long as Lucas stayed out of her business with Dane. Then, following a series of long and painful thoughts, Lucas agreed because he missed her. He promised to do his best, but he wasn't sure how long he could last on that front.

Dane had groveled at Haley's feet for almost forty-eight hours before she decided to give in and speak to him. He apologized so many times that the phrases "I'm sorry" and "I didn't mean it" and "It'll never happen again" started to all run together and lose their meanings. Slowly, Haley began to interact regularly with him again, but she still hadn't completely let her guard down. When she opened her mouth, she chose her words carefully; she was always on edge when they were alone.

When school was over that Friday, Jamie had insisted that his mom allow Nathan to attend game night. Since his father's return, he wanted to spend every waking moment with him. And after he'd flashed his puppy dog eyes that was it. Nathan was coming over, and at that Haley's enthusiasm for game night tripped just a bit. What she was thankful for was that Dane would not be there. He was going out with a few co-workers to have a few drinks and shoot some pool, and for once she was happy that her boyfriend would not be home until long after she was asleep.

Nathan groaned and slapped his palm against his thigh. "Do you always have to win, son?" he said loudly but was smiling.

His son smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "It's what I do best, Daddy."

Haley laughed. She still loved watching the two interact, but she couldn't help the sinking feeling that it wouldn't last. Lucas had had to convince his brother to come back to Tree Hill, so what if that wasn't actually what he wanted? Maybe he was simply trying to ease his conscience.

At the sound of Haley's laugh, Nathan looked up and smiled at her. He hadn't heard her laugh in a very long time, and the sound was like music to his ears. His smile faded, however, when her amused face immediately turned from his upon noticing the direction of his gaze. He sighed.

"Good job, buddy!" Lucas shouted, high-fiving his nephew. Brooke gave him one as well.

Jamie smiled and turned to his mom, putting on his best pouty face. "Momma, can we just have one more game before bed? Please?"

Haley shook her head and stood up. "No, buddy. You've used that face and those words three times tonight, and it's not working again. Go brush your teeth."

After a dramatic sigh, Jamie told everyone goodnight and went to brush his teeth and get his pajamas on. Soon, Haley followed and read him a story before shutting his door securely.

When she returned to the living room, Brooke was on her feet passing out half sheets of paper to Lucas and Nathan. When Haley herself was handed one, she furrowed her brow at her friend.

"We're playing a game," Brooke responded with a smile. She sat in the chair, leaving the other three on the couch, Lucas in between the former Mr. and Mrs. Scott. Then she tossed them each a pen. "I'm going to say five words, and you have to write the first thing that comes to mind for each one. Got it?"

Haley rubbed her eyes. "Brooke, game night is over when Jamie goes to bed. We've been doing this for like a year now." She was really tired and just wanted to go to bed. Sure, it was only eight o'clock, but she'd had a tough day at school and needed to get up early to grade papers.

Brooke quirked a brow. "Not tonight, Tutor Girl. We're just trying something new. It won't kill you, I promise."

She sighed in response and then yawned. "Let's get this show on the road then."

Brooke smiled, satisfied. "Okay, we'll start. Now, remember…no cheating. It has to be the very _first _thing that comes to your mind. I will know if you cheat." She sent the two boys a death glare.

Nathan held his hands up defensively.

"We're ready," Lucas said, clicking his pen.

"Okay, first word." Brooke thought for a moment. "Love."

The three scribbled their answers, making sure to cover them up when they were done, and then looked up at Brooke.

"Cheese."

They wrote again, after shooting her a few confused glances.

"Money."

"Pain."

"Sex."

The three beings on the couch folded their papers carefully. "Interesting choice of words, Brooke," Nathan commented, bored.

She shrugged and stood up, walking over to them and holding her hand out. They put their papers in it. She sat back down and began to unfold one.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Haley asked, sitting up.

"What does it look like?" Brooke responded. "I'm reading them."

Nathan furrowed his brow. "I thought this was some sort of girly self-reflection thing. You can't read mine."

Lucas shrugged. "I don't really care. I've got nothing to hide."

Brooke smiled. "What kind of a game would that be? This is all a part of it, so just sit back and relax."

Haley stood up and walked over to the chair, reaching for her paper. Brooke beat her to it and snatched it, balling it up in her first. "Nuh uh, Tutor Girl."

"Brooke, seriously!" Haley said, frustrated. "This is not a joke. That stuff is personal."

"You should've thought of that before you wrote it down," Nathan mumbled from his seat. The only real reason he'd said it was because he wanted to hear Haley's answers, especially to the last word. He would chance his own humiliation just to hear the one word she may have written down.

Looking at him, Haley glared intensely and stomped back to her seat. Then she looked over at him again. "Didn't I tell you not to talk to me?"

Nathan shrugged. "I guess I must've heard you wrong. Besides, you can't stop me from talking to you if I want to."

Deciding not to respond, Haley turned back to face Brooke. "Let's get this over with," she muttered. Her frustration was building.

Brooke smiled again, trying to lighten the mood. "Okay, first up…Broody." She gave him a wink. "Love – Brooke. Aw, babe," she cooed, giving him a dreamy smile.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Move on before I puke, please."

"Cheese – coffee." Nathan, Brooke, and Haley all looked at Lucas confusedly.

Lucas shrugged and smiled a bit. "Don't ask me to explain. That's just what popped into my head."

"You're so weird," Haley commented with a small smile.

"Anyways," Brooke continued, "money – car." Everyone nodded understandingly. "Pain – heart." Again, everyone understood. "Sex – Brooke." She clapped her hands together. "Yay, I got two!"

Lucas smiled at his girlfriend.

After standing up to give her boyfriend a passionate kiss, Brooke sat back down. "Alright, I guess we'll do Nathan's next." She unfolded the paper. "Love – Jamie."

"The obvious choice," Lucas stated matter-of-factly.

"Cheese – Mac." She paused. "Money – fame." As her eyes moved down the paper, she tried not to squeal out of excitement. Although the answer was pretty obvious, the fact that he actually wrote it down was reassuring. Brooke never believed for a second that her friends would never get back together; she had faith in their relationship, even when they didn't. "Pain – basketball. And last but not least…Sex – Haley."

Haley and Nathan shared an awkward glance in that moment. Nathan's eyes held a bit of lust for his former wife, while Haley's were a mixture of anger and relief. However, she quickly looked away before things became any weirder.

When Brooke didn't move to pick up Haley's paper, Lucas cleared his throat loudly.

Brooke jumped a bit. "Oh, right…um, Haley's is next." She smoothed out the crumpled paper and then began to read from the neat handwriting which belonged to Haley James. "Love – Jamie."

Nathan and Haley both possessed small smiles following Brooke's words. Haley was smiling because she knew that she wasn't embarrassed by that answer, as she would be by some of the others. She would never be ashamed of the love she felt towards her son. Nathan was smiling because the admiration he still had for how great of a mother Haley was had never left. He found himself growing more aware of the ache in his chest.

"Cheese – macaroni."

Lucas smiled at his best friend. "Speaking of which, we need to have that sometime soon. I've been craving the world's best macaroni and cheese for a while now."

Haley shook her head and smiled. "Just say the word."

Nathan didn't say anything, but he agreed with Lucas. He still remembered the first time he and Haley had eaten that dish together and how cute he thought it was that it was still her favorite as a teenager. She wasn't ashamed to be herself. That was something else he loved about her.

"Money – superficial."

"Pain – Dane."

Haley's breath caught in her throat. She was aware of the name she had written down, but now that it had been said out loud in front of everyone, she was freaking out on the inside. She knew that Lucas was aware of her reasons for writing the name down, and on some level so was Brooke. She was sure that Nathan had no idea though, so that was one less person she had to worry about scolding her.

Lucas's head immediately shot up to look at the girl sitting next to him on the couch. "Haley-"

"Lucas," she warned, meeting his gaze. "It's just a game."

"It's not just a game," he protested. "I know I said I would stay out of it, Hales, but-"

"Yes, you did," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "So please do so, and be quiet."

Nathan was just as confused as he had been on Sunday during the whole sweatshirt debacle, if not more so. "Brooke, let's go," he prompted. He could tell that Haley was getting irritated by whatever Lucas was trying to do, and although he was curious he was more anxious to hear her next answer.

Brooke took a deep breath before reading the next word Haley had written down. "Sex – Nathan."

Nathan literally could not suppress the huge grin that broke out on his face. He was completely thrilled that his name had not been Dane's, although it wasn't completely reassuring. It didn't mean that she hadn't been with him or someone else, but this proved that he was the one she would always relate that word back to. When he looked over at her to see her fuming, he became confused.

When Haley witnessed the smug grin that spread across her ex-husband's face, she wanted to be sick. Secretly, she had been anxious to see his reaction, but the one he had given her was not one she was happy about. She stood up and began her stalk down the hallway.

Lucas began to stand, but Nathan put a hand on his chest and then quickly followed Haley down the hallway. Before she could shut her bedroom door, he stepped in and then closed it quietly.

"Nathan, get out," she said forcefully.

"No," he answered firmly. "I'm not going anywhere. And the sooner you realize that, the better. I'm here for good, and I'm committed to you and Jamie."

Haley scoffed. "You're here because your number one dream fell through, and you needed something to fall back on. We were next in line, apparently, and I'm not here to be your back-up plan, Nathan. I will _never_ be with you again."

Nathan felt his heart begin to beat faster and painfully ache at the same time. He stepped closer to her and looked into her eyes. He wasn't sure why he asked his next question except that he simply could not go on without knowing a definite answer to it. "Are you sleeping with him?"

Before she realized what she was doing, Haley's hand rose up and slapped him. "How dare you ask me something like that?" she seethed. "That is none of your damn business. I can have sex with whoever the hell I want whenever the hell I want, and there is not a damn thing you can do about it. We aren't married anymore, and you don't get that part of me."

"It is my damn business!" Nathan shouted. "It will always be my damn business." He paused. "He doesn't love you, Hales. I do."

Those words hurt, and she wasn't fully aware of the reasons. Maybe it was that Dane didn't love her. And she knew he didn't. He'd never told her that, and he'd certainly never showed it. "Do not say that to me." Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears. "You do not love me." She shook her head defiantly. "And you need to go."

He attempted to step closer to her, but she moved away. "I don't want to."

Haley stepped around him and to the door, opening it quietly. "Leave, Nathan."

He stared at her for a moment or two, trying to search for any hidden emotions behind her eyes, but all he saw was anger. He walked out the door silently.


	4. Chapter 4

**So I feel like I haven't updated in forever. I know some of you are wondering about Haley and not understanding why she's still with Dane. But I promise you, she has her reasons! And you will be let in on them gradually. This chapter mostly just lets you in on a few things; I don't think anything too awfully huge happens. However, I should be able to get another chapter up this weekend and hopefully school will slow down at some point. But I will always find time to write! So, anyways...thank you for reading & please review! **

* * *

It was Saturday afternoon, and Haley was still waist-deep in high school English papers to grade. Jamie was over at Lucas's with Nathan doing "guy stuff," whatever that meant. Haley had been grading for a few hours now. She wanted to grade all of her classes at the same time so that one class didn't get an advantage because of her mood or some other influence. Brooke had arrived an hour ago, saying that the testosterone in her home was just a little too much for her to handle.

Brooke flipped through the channels in the living room, not finding anything appealing in the slightest. After turning the television off, she snuck a glance at Haley. She'd been itching to ask her a question all day. Testosterone wasn't the only reason she'd come to see her friend.

Haley ran through the lines of the last paragraph of her student's paper to make sure she hadn't missed anything. After triple-checking, she scribbled the final grade at the top and circled it in red ink. She sighed, placing it in the graded stack, which was finally beginning to tower over the ungraded one. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brooke looking at her curiously for the third time in the last half hour and couldn't hold it in any longer. "Brooke, what the hell are you staring at?"

Brooke immediately answered, "Nothing."

Haley narrowed her eyes. "Brooke," she began slowly.

She sighed. "Okay, don't beg me. I'll ask." She paused. "Have you and Dane done it yet?"

Haley quirked a brow. "By 'it' I hope you mean the weekly shopping." She picked up another paper and began to read through its first paragraph, frowning at the grammatical errors.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "No. By 'it' I mean sex. Have you and Dane had sex? I mean, he's been living here for like four months now, and he hardly strikes me as the kind of guy who would stay with a girl who-"

"Brooke, stop it," Haley interrupted, looking up from her paper and placing her pen down gently. "You've asked me this one hundred times, and my answer has not changed. Dane and I haven't had sex, and I am nowhere near ready for that with him. If anything, we're farther away from that than we were the last time you asked."

"I know, but when Lucas tried to call you from New York Dane answered. And Luke said he sort of hinted that the two of you were going at it."

Haley furrowed her brow. "Hmm…maybe we were just making out or something. You know how he likes to overplay that stuff. You and Lucas have nothing to worry about, but please don't let him say anything to Nathan about it. He does not deserve that satisfaction."

Brooke nodded slowly. "Speaking of the ex-husband, last night was pretty weird, huh? What went on with you two after the game?"

Haley shook her head. "Nothing went on. We just argued; it's nothing new."

"Really? I didn't want to say anything, Hales, but you could've cut the sexual tension with a knife. It's obvious that the boy still wants you."

"And that's irrelevant," Haley shot back. "If he really wanted me, he wouldn't have left two years ago. And if he really loved me so much, he wouldn't have been able to sleep with anyone else while we've been apart. I know, because I haven't been able to."

Brooke sighed gently, trying not to allow her friend to become too upset. "Tutor Girl, you're way more guarded about sex than any of us are. And besides that, how do you know that he slept with those other girls? Magazines lie all the time to get buyers. It doesn't make any of that fabricated shit true."

Haley was silent for a moment before picking up her pen again. "It doesn't matter anyways. His sex life is no longer any of my business, just like mine isn't any of his."

When Brooke started to speak again, Haley cut her off. "Brooke, I really need to finish grading these papers. I'm sorry, but can we pick this up later?"

Brooke stared at her best friend sadly for a moment before answering with a smile, "No worries." She picked up the television remote again.

* * *

Nathan, Lucas, and Jamie sat on the couch in the elder brother's living room playing video games. Junk food and sodas were sprawled all over the large coffee table, and Jamie was currently munching on a handful of Cheetos.

All three heard a knock on the door and continued playing until the person made his presence clear once again. Lucas sighed and paused the game, getting up to answer the door.

"What's up, Luke?"

Lucas smiled coldly. "Dane…so nice to see you. What are you doing here?"

Dane shrugged and stepped into the apartment without the invitation to do so. "Haley told me Jamie was over here, so I figured I'd just come over and check on him."

Nathan looked at Jamie, not sure what was about to happen between Luke and Dane. The look Lucas was eliciting wasn't suggesting anything pretty, however. "Hey, bud, how about you go watch TV in Uncle Lucas's room for a few minutes? I'll be in in a second."

After a short hesitation, Jamie slowly nodded and walked down the hall to Lucas and Brooke's room.

"He actually doesn't need you to check up on him," Lucas replied. "He's pretty safe here with us, unlike when he's with you."

Dane chuckled. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, Luke. What's the problem? Everything was fine last week."

Nathan stood up from the couch and stepped closer to Dane and his brother.

"No, everything was far from fine last week," Lucas retorted.

"Seriously, what the hell are you doing here, man?" Nathan jumped in. He crossed his arms over his chest. His reasons for not wanting Dane in his presence were very different from Lucas's, but either way he wanted the guy gone. The vibe he gave off was definitely negative.

"What the hell have I done to _you_?" Dane said, looking straight at his girlfriend's ex-husband. Then he smiled smugly and held up both his hands. "Listen man, just because I'm fucking Haley doesn't mean you need to get all pissed off at me. She doesn't want you anymore, bro, so back off."

Before Dane's words had all been spit out, Nathan was already leaping towards him. However, Lucas grabbed him just in time and gave him a forceful push backwards. "Don't, Nathan," he said strongly. "It's not worth it. Haley needs you to be good."

Nathan clenched his fists at his sides and tried his hardest not to reach over and wrap his hands around Dane's neck. Did the guy really have to be such a prick?

"What, you didn't know?" Dane taunted. "Damn, the way she goes on about it you'd think-"

Lucas cut him off. "Get out of my apartment. The door's open. I don't know why you're even here. Why don't you leave and never speak to us or Haley ever again?"

Dane laughed as he stepped towards the doorway. "Whatever, man. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." He paused and looked at Nathan again. "What was that Haley said the other night?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, yeah…that I'm the best she's ever had…quite a compliment, wouldn't you say, Nate?" He laughed again before walking completely out of the apartment.

Nathan's fists bunched up tighter as Lucas closed the front door.

"Don't let his comments get to you, Nathan. They don't mean anything."

After a moment's silence, Nathan looked up at his brother. "Luke, I know why I hate Dane. Why do you?"

Lucas sighed heavily before lifting his head. "It's not my place, Nate." He shook his head, repeating himself so that he wouldn't slip. "It's not my place."

* * *

"_Did you get the papers?" Haley asked into the receiver. Her voice was quiet._

"_I did." _

"_Did you sign the papers?" Her voice was even quieter._

_A moment's silence followed. Then finally, "No." _

_Haley rubbed her temples. "I'm not doing this again with you. Everything's done. Just sign the damn papers."_

_From the other line there was a sigh. "There's no going back, Hales. If I sign these papers, it's all over. We'll never be us again."_

"_I'm aware of what a divorce is, Nathan. And you've made yourself quite clear."_

"_Look, Haley, what I said that night-"_

"_Please stop, Nathan. You said it, and it's over. And if I remember correctly," Haley added, "you're the one who brought up the topic of divorce. So don't put that on me."_

_Nathan sighed again. "I know I did." His voice was barely above a whisper. _

_Haley was desperately trying to keep her tears at bay. It had been months since that night, and all she wanted to do was move on. She just wasn't sure how she was supposed to do that. He was her husband. The ending of a six-year marriage was bound to bring out a few buckets of tears, right? She didn't want it to end. _

"_I'm sorry," Nathan mumbled before hanging up the phone and grabbing his pen. _

Haley sighed. She had spaced out after finishing the last of her papers for the weekend. Brooke had left an hour ago, and Haley wasn't surprised. She had been bored grading the papers, so she was sure it must've been much worse for her friend. Brooke was not easily entertained.

After she had put all the papers away, Haley cleaned the apartment. And just as she plopped down on the couch, she heard the front door open.

"Hey, beautiful," Dane greeted her with a smile. He closed the door and took a seat next to her on the couch.

"Hey," Haley responded with a weak smile. When he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, she kissed him back but tried to keep it light.

Dane had other plans as he forcefully pushed his tongue into her mouth. His left hand went up to cup her face and he pushed her back onto the couch gently so that he was lying on top of her.

Haley pulled away and looked up at him confusedly. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" He began to kiss her neck. "I've missed you," he mumbled.

Haley sighed but found herself moving her neck to give him better access. "I'm really not in the mood right now, Dane."

"When's a better time? The kid's gone. We've got the place to ourselves." He sucked on her pulse point. "Don't be such a prude."

She pushed him away. "I'm not a prude. I just happen to have a little more respect for myself than the other girls you've been with, obviously."

Dane furrowed his brow. "I'm pretty sure you just defined the word prude, Haley. Besides, we've been dating for almost a year."

"So? That doesn't mean you get some kind of free pass. Sex is a really big deal for me."

"Yeah, obviously," Dane retorted as he sighed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Haley pushed him off of her, and they both sat up on the couch again.

Dane sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing. I just find it a little weird that you haven't had sex in two years. That's how long it's been, right?" He paused. "And you realize that since he's the only guy you've ever slept with, Nathan basically owns you?"

"No one owns me, Dane. Not Nathan and not you. And just so you know, pressuring me isn't going to get you anywhere. It actually makes me like you less." She shook her head. "You weren't like this in the beginning."

Dane felt himself beginning to get angry as he stood up. "I never said that I own you. Don't put words into my mouth. I just find it a bit strange that even after almost a year together, you can't let your fucking guard down and give it up already."

Haley stood up as well and answered him sarcastically. "Well, gee, honey…it's just so hard to resist all of your romantic charm." Haley found herself forgetting about how dangerous it was to speak to him the way she was. Instead she was just extremely irritated.

He rolled his eyes. "Why the hell am I even with you? You're like a damn child, I swear. It's pathetic."

"Oh yeah, you're the one who should be reconsidering the relationship," Haley replied sarcastically.

It was another fight that started out about sex and ended up being about the entire relationship and where it was headed. Dane and Haley had been through it countless times over the last few months. It was actually becoming a regular thing. Apologies always followed, as did a bit of a make-up session. And Saturday night was no different. The two ended up in their room kissing slowly for almost an hour. Neither one said a word.

* * *

Nathan and Jamie lay side by side in the guest bedroom at Lucas and Brooke's. They'd been there for about five minutes waiting for sleep to come to the both of them. Nathan's eyes opened when he heard his son's voice.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Jamie?"

"Why aren't you staying with me and Momma, like before?"

Nathan sighed quietly and placed his hands behind his head. "I just can't right now, buddy. Your mom and I have a lot of stuff to talk about. Try not to think about it too much though. You and I have a lot of lost time to make up for."

Jamie sighed, just like his dad. Then he spoke quietly, almost so that Nathan couldn't hear him. "So do you and Momma."

He heard him.

* * *

Haley went to pick up Jamie on Sunday morning, waiting for an answer after she'd already knocked on the door twice.

Nathan finally made it to the door and pulled it open after hearing the repetitive knocks he knew to belong to Haley.

Haley tried desperately not to look directly at Nathan for only one reason: he was shirtless. It had only taken her a millisecond to see all of him when he opened the door, and after that she tore her eyes away. He had obviously just gotten up, as his hair was all tousled and he suppressed a yawn with some difficulty. The only clothing he wore was boxers and a pair of basketball shorts which hung just low enough to allow the waistband of the boxers to be visible. Haley cursed herself for having the same thoughts about his body she would've had two years ago. Then again, how was she supposed to help herself? It was blatantly obvious that he was an attractive man, and their differences never negated that fact.

"Hales?" Nathan prompted, once they'd been standing there for a few minutes. All Haley had done was stare at the ground directly in front of her feet.

Her head snapped up as she met his eyes. His eyes were safe, the only problem being that as soon as she saw them she wanted to avert her eyes lower to a completely different part of his anatomy. So she looked away again, inside the apartment. "Where are Brooke and Lucas?"

Nathan shrugged and stifled another yawn. "I'm not sure. I kind of just woke up, but they aren't here. Are you here for Jamie?"

Haley nodded her head before making her way inside the apartment. Nathan had gestured for her to do so, and he closed the door once she was inside.

"He's still asleep," he replied. "I'll wake him in a minute, but first I need to tell you something."

Finally, Haley sighed. "Nathan, if you're planning on sticking your nose into something that's none of your business again, then I've got better things to do." She paused. "In fact, no matter what you have to say I've got better things to be doing."

Nathan couldn't help but to roll his eyes. "Relax. I just want to apologize for the other night. I shouldn't have asked you about Dane like that. It was insensitive of me."

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "It's really not that big of a deal. There's no need for our conversations to involve anything but Jamie, so I'll just try to block out everything else you say from now on." Haley still had trouble keeping her eyes off of his toned stomach. "Although I do find the fact that you've hooked up with God only knows how many women over the last two years and still find it imperative to check up on my sex life to be a bit hypocritical."

Nathan sighed. "You don't know anything about the last two years of my life, Hales. And I get that that's my fault; I do. I don't know about yours either, and I'm trying to make up for that now." He shook his head. "You've just always been so much better than me."

Haley rolled her eyes and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. "That doesn't give you the right to put me up on some sort of pedestal, Nathan. What the hell do you expect me to do, never have sex again just because I'm not with you?"

"Hales, you wrote my name down. That has to mean something," Nathan answered quickly. "If it were Dane you wanted to be with, it would've been his name, but it wasn't. Please stop pretending you don't care about me."

"Wow, it's nice to know that you're back to your cocky high school self." She shook her head. "Don't tell me how I feel about you. Or Dane, for that matter."

Nathan then crossed his own arms over his chest. "The guy's an asshole, Haley! How can you not see that? And I'm not about to just sit here and listen to him talk about you the way he does. I won't have it."

"And what the hell does that mean?" she shot back. The whole "strictly Jamie" plan wasn't panning out the way she'd hoped, but Haley knew it was because she always let herself get caught up in the moment when she was around Nathan. She couldn't help herself. He'd always brought out the best and worst in her, and right now it was nothing but frustrating.

Arms were uncrossed as Nathan threw his hands up into the air. "He thinks he owns you! Sitting here, with my son in the other room, and listening to your jackass boyfriend talk about fucking you gets really old really fast. That's not why I came here."

"Then why did you come here, Nathan?" Haley retorted quickly. She was surprised she'd been able to reply so fast because honestly she was a bit shaken by Nathan's words. She knew Dane was adamant about sex, but did he really talk about her that way? Part of her knew it to be true, while the other part simply wished dramatically that Nathan had just made that up.

The volumes of their voices had risen considerably, and apparently Jamie could no longer sleep. He came slowly into the living room, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Momma?"

Nathan and Haley's eyes remained locked on one another. He wasn't sure if he should still attempt to fabricate an answer to her question, and she was daring him to do just that.

"Momma?" Jamie said again, a bit louder.

Haley's head snapped to her right. She sighed heavily. "Hey, buddy."

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Nathan threw in, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Go get your stuff, Jamie. We've got to get home." Haley gave him a gentle push back towards the hallway and then stepped closer to the door, hoping he would move quickly.

Once Jamie was out of the room, Nathan spoke. "I already told you why I'm here, Haley. And you don't believe me. That's okay though, because I will continue to tell you. I'll tell you every day for the rest of my life if I have to. I'm here because I love you, and I love Jamie. I made a huge mistake that I regret. And I don't think it's right for you to dedicate the rest of your life to penalizing me for that mistake."

Haley rolled her eyes. "You really are self-centered. Not everything is about you, you know."

"Oh, drop the act," Nathan answered, making sure to keep his voice down low. "Acting like a bitch is not going to make me go away; nothing is. And it certainly isn't going to succeed in convincing yourself that you don't love me anymore because I know you do. And so do you."

Haley narrowed her eyes at him. She was just about to come back with some smartass comment when Jamie returned with his overnight bag. She scoffed once at Nathan and then opened the door so that she and Jamie could depart.

"Bye, Dad." Jamie gave Nathan a long hug and told him he'd see him soon.

"I love you, Jamie," Nathan called as they walked out the door.

Jamie turned around and smiled. "I love you, too, Daddy. And I'm really glad you're back. This is where you belong."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks guys! I really do feel like that last chapter was just...ugh, I don't know. But despite what happens in this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it. So thanks for reading, and please let me know your thoughts on this chapter!**

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Days had passed, and it was now Thursday. Nathan had been picking Jamie up from school every day and they'd hang out until six o'clock, when they knew Haley would have dinner ready. Nathan hadn't set foot in her apartment though, for fear that he would catch a quick kiss between Dane and his ex-wife. He was also trying to avoid Dane's stupid comments about sleeping with Haley because he didn't have Lucas with him to hold him back, and he knew beating up the boyfriend would not please Haley. Every time he thought about the guy, hundreds of different scenes popped into his head, all of which involved Dane and Haley doing something sexual. He would shake his head furiously or find something to do to attempt to remove the thoughts from his mind, but nothing ever worked. It seemed he would be forever doomed to picture the two of them having sex, and the part that really freaked him out was he still didn't know if what he was picturing might actually be happening. The urge to ask Haley about it again was strong, but he resisted because she had completely flipped out on him last time. And talking to Dane got him nowhere. According to Lucas, it would be stupid to put it past the guy to lie.

Nathan was growing increasingly curious about Lucas's reasons for hating Haley's boyfriend. None of it fit at all. Lucas's animosity towards the guy seemed to match Nathan's, if not surpass it, and for the life of him he couldn't come up with a reason why. The first thing that had popped into his head was that his brother was jealous. But that thought was scraped away just as fast as it had arrived because Nathan knew it was impossible. Haley was Lucas's best friend, and the guy was totally head over heels for Brooke. So after that had been crossed off the list, he was left completely clueless. Every time his brother made a remark about Dane, Nathan tried to decipher what it could really mean and put it together with everything else he'd heard. He went through everything over and over again and still got nowhere. He was really starting to feel like something was being kept from him deliberately, and he did not like it one bit.

Nathan checked the time on his phone. It was half past six. "Damn it," he cursed under his breath. He looked back at Jamie who was in the backseat of the SUV to see that he was giggling. "What's so funny?"

Jamie stopped laughing but kept a smile plastered on his face. "We're late, Dad. Momma's going to be mad at you."

Nathan turned around and started the car, pulling out into the road. "Well, son, your mom's already mad at me. Don't worry; I'll explain it to her."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Jamie replied with another giggle. He wasn't quite sure why, but his mother did not stand for people to be late to dinner. It was all the same to him as long as he got to eat, so he wasn't sure why it bothered her so much.

They were back at Haley's apartment ten minutes later, and both boys got out of the vehicle quickly. Once they'd reached the door, Nathan knocked quietly.

Haley had been sitting in the living room flipping through the channels on the television while waiting for somebody – anybody – to arrive for dinner. It was already obvious that Dane would be missing the meal completely. He'd sent her a text saying that he had to work late, which didn't surprise her because those excuses had picked up in frequency lately. She was actually shocked because he'd made it home on time on Monday, Tuesday, _and _Wednesday. It was only a matter of time before it picked up again. Upon hearing the knock, Haley turned the television off and opened the door quickly.

Nathan was surprised to see that Haley didn't look as pissed off as he had expected. Still, he went straight to his apology. "I'm really sorry, Hales. We sort of just got caught up and lost track of time."

She shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?" She then sighed. "Come on, Jamie."

The boy stepped into the apartment and threw his backpack on the floor by the chair.

Haley turned around. "Excuse me, mister. Where does that go?" She raised her eyebrows at her son until he got the message and picked up his backpack, beginning the short walk to his bedroom. Haley sighed again and turned around to face Nathan.

When she started to shut the front door, Nathan put his hand out and stopped it as gently as possible. "Where's your boyfriend?" he asked carefully. He couldn't believe how weird that sounded coming from his mouth. Never, in a million years, did he think he'd be saying those words to Haley.

Although she felt the natural instinct to, Haley couldn't muster up a good sarcastic or bitchy reply. She was too physically tired to do so. "He's working late," she mumbled. "He does that a lot."

Nathan eyed her. She looked different. Her eyes appeared to be extremely heavy, and she was standing with her arms wrapped tightly around her body. She looked utterly exhausted, but he took note of the fact that she also looked incredibly beautiful, as always. "Well, he sounds like a good catch," he retorted.

After he had waited a good minute for a snappy reply which he did not receive, Nathan spoke again. "Can I come in?"

Haley yawned and shrugged her shoulders. If he would've asked any other night that week, her immediate answer would've been a no, accompanied by a front door in the face. Tonight was different though. After the night and day she'd had, she was too tired to argue with him. Besides, with Dane at work for God knows how much longer, she wouldn't mind having Nathan's help with Jamie. She moved out of the way for him to step inside and closed the door once he had done so. "This doesn't mean anything, by the way," she added after turning around.

Nathan was shocked, to say the least, that Haley had just willingly let him into the apartment. Of course, if Dane were home he wouldn't have even asked. But he was actually concerned about her. Then he heard her speak, and it took a moment for him to process her words. "I know," he replied with a small smile. "But I assume you're going to feed me."

"There's a lasagna in the oven; it should still be warm," she answered. "You and Jamie can have at it. I'm not really hungry."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you sure? Did you already eat or something?"

She shook her head and took a seat on the couch. "No. I'm just not hungry."

After Jamie had returned from his bedroom, Nathan took him into the kitchen, and they both proceeded to eat the delicious lasagna Haley had made.

While they were eating, Nathan decided to get Jamie's take on Dane. After all, if this guy was going to continue to be around his kid Jamie needed to be okay with that. He hadn't heard him speak even a word about the guy. After swallowing a bite of lasagna, he took a sip of water and then spoke. "So, Jamie…what do you think about Dane?"

Jamie was silent as he chewed his food. A minute or two passed.

Nathan furrowed his brow and took another sip of water. "Do you like him, not like him…huh?"

Slowly, Jamie swallowed a bite of food and then looked up at his dad. "I don't like him," he muttered quietly.

Nathan noticed that his son was avoiding his eyes. He put his fork down and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why not, son?"

Jamie continued to eat. When his father spoke, he shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of juice.

Patience was wearing thin for Nathan. It wasn't typical behavior for Jamie to be this quiet, especially when he had been perfectly chatty five minutes ago. "Answer me, Jamie," he said a bit louder.

After setting his glass down on the table, Jamie put his fork down as well and finally looked up to meet his dad's eyes. "He hurts Momma," he whispered.

It was almost hard for Nathan to hear his son's quiet voice, but he was sure he heard him correctly. He watched Jamie begin to eat again and wondered if he should ask him anything else. Eventually, he decided against it, but he couldn't bring himself to continue on with the meal.

_"He hurts Momma."_ What the hell was that supposed to mean? Tons of thoughts were currently running through Nathan's head. He absolutely did not understand what his son had told him. Of course, the boy's choice of words had been vague, but Nathan felt like there was something he should've picked up on immediately. However, he was absolutely at a loss. He couldn't make a single connection. The only thing he could think of was what Haley had mentioned to him earlier about Dane working late a lot. Maybe Jamie had noticed that his mother grew more distant and sad when that happened. Then Nathan found himself getting angry. He didn't want to think that Haley missed Dane like that when he was gone. He wanted her to miss him instead.

Then it dawned on him. He had to be cheating on her. He was sure that Haley would've connected the dots what with him working late all the time. That had to be it, right? He felt himself growing angrier and angrier by the second, and he had to know if it was true.

Nathan cleared the table once they were both finished eating and rinsed the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. Wanting to have some time to confront Haley, he suggested that Jamie watch a movie on the small television in his bedroom. He assured him he would come in in a little bit and watch it with him, but he wanted to talk to Mommy first. Finally, Jamie agreed.

After setting up the movie and making sure Jamie was fine, Nathan made his way back to the living room. At first he thought she was asleep. Her legs were pulled up close to her side and she had her arm resting on the arm of the couch, while her head rested in her hand. And her eyes were closed.

Haley could feel him in the room with her; she didn't need to see him. Feeling his eyes on her, she opened her own and sat up slightly.

Nathan was relieved to see that she was awake, and he slowly walked over to the couch and took a seat about a foot away from her. "Hales, I need to ask you something, okay? And I need you to be honest with me." He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was feeling on the inside.

Haley said nothing but continued to stare at him while nodding her head softly.

He took a deep breath and placed his hands in his lap. "Is Dane cheating on you?" he mumbled as quietly as possible.

Haley's eyebrows knit themselves together and she shook her head. "No. Why would you say that?"

Judging from the expression on her face, Haley's confusion was sincere, so Nathan began to lose some of the anger and tension he'd previously felt. "I don't know. I guess I just…never mind." He shook his head, feeling like a total ass.

She turned to face him and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Nathan, Dane is not cheating on me. I don't know where you came up with that, but if this is you trying to sabotage my relationship with him, please stop."

Nathan would've immediately become loud and defensive, but he could literally hear the exhaustion in her voice. So instead, he remained quiet and calm while still trying to get his point across. "Haley, I wouldn't do that to you. I promise you that."

Haley was feeling dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped her forehead with one hand, trying to steady the spinning room. In her head, she tried to do the math and figure out just how long it had been since she had last slept. She found her mind wandering to what Nathan had said on Sunday, about the way that Dane talked about her. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at her ex-husband. "Did Dane really say that he fucked me?"

Nathan's brow rose. Where had that come from? He had begun to feel worried about her when she had held on to her head like that, but now all his attention was focused on answering her question as carefully and as best he could. Why was she acting so different tonight? "He did," he responded slowly.

Haley rolled her eyes and then shut them again. She moved her body down on the couch so she could rest her head on the arm. She lifted her legs and stretched them out so they were resting on Nathan's lap. The room was spinning faster now, and she became very aware of the sharp pain in her stomach. Her hands instinctively lifted to rest on the spot where all the pain was stemming from. She took a moment to process Nathan's words before she responded. "He didn't," she whispered, shaking her head. "No one did."

Had she not been worrying him so much in that moment, Nathan would've broken out in the biggest grin possible. However, her demeanor and actions kept him from being happy about what she'd just said. Since her legs were stretched out over his own, his hands were resting on the closest one to him. "Haley?"

"Hmm?" Haley could feel herself falling asleep, but Nathan saying her name woke her back up.

Now he was really worried. Her head was still resting on the arm of the couch, but it was rolling slowly from side to side. She had some sort of death grip on her stomach, and her legs were shaking. "Haley, what the hell is going on? What's wrong with you?"

Her head stopped moving, and she remained silent. She was shaking more, but Nathan could tell she couldn't hear a word he was saying. "Haley!" he yelled powerfully, jumping up from the couch. And then as her arms slipped from her stomach, he saw it: the blood. He tried to shake her, but she didn't respond. He lifted her into his arms and yelled to Jamie to follow him. He headed down to his truck.

Jamie ran after his dad, wondering what was going on. His mom was limp in his arms and didn't appear to be moving at all. His eyes grew large as he watched his dad place her lying down in the back seat. "Dad, what's happening?" he asked frantically.

Nathan had no idea what the hell was happening. "Get in the front, Jamie."

He did as he was told and crawled into the passenger seat.

Nathan was sure he surpassed the speed limit by at least twenty for the duration of the ride to the hospital, but he didn't care. He was also sure that if a cop had started chasing him, he wouldn't have pulled over. Jamie continued to ask him questions, but he couldn't answer him.

During the ride to the hospital, Jamie stared into the back seat at his mom and couldn't help it when he started crying. And he couldn't stop asking his dad questions. He almost didn't even notice when he got no answers.

* * *

"What the hell happened?" Lucas asked as he finally spotted his brother and his nephew in the waiting room. "Where is she?"

Nathan stood up. "I don't know, man. They took her back there, and they're checking her out. I don't know what happened." He ran a hand through his hair anxiously.

"Damn it," Lucas cursed. He sighed heavily, noticing the tear stains on Nathan's face. His brother wasn't a crier, which only increased his worry for his best friend. Then he saw Jamie. "Hey, buddy," he said quietly, taking a seat next to the boy. "Do you want to come with me to get a snack?"

Jamie shook his head and continued to wipe the endless stream of tears from his face.

"Please, buddy. I don't want to eat all by myself," Lucas pressed. He nodded appreciatively when Jamie conceded.

Nathan sent his brother a grateful look before beginning to pace. He watched the two disappear into a separate hallway. It wasn't two minutes later when he heard Brooke's voice and turned to see her running towards him.

"Oh, my God! What happened? Where is she?" Brooke almost shouted. "What's wrong with her?"

Nathan shook his head furiously. "I don't know, Brooke. She was acting all weird and being nice to me, and then she just like passed out and I looked over and she was bleeding. I don't know what the fuck happened, Brooke."

"God," Brooke breathed. Before she knew it she had enveloped Nathan in a hug, and the two were clinging onto each other with everything they had.

When they finally ended the embrace, Brooke was the first to speak. "Does Dane know?" She couldn't help but to ask the question. After all, he was her boyfriend, and surely he would be worried about her.

Nathan shook his head distractedly, as he saw a doctor heading straight towards them.

Brooke had failed to see the gentleman walking toward them, so she headed to the bathroom, muttering something about calling to let Dane know.

"Hi, are you Mr. Scott?" the doctor asked, glancing down at the chart he held in his hands.

"Yes, I'm Nathan Scott. Where's Haley? How is she?"

The doctor took a deep breath. "Haley is going to be just fine. She lost a great deal of blood though, and we had to give her a few transfusions."

Nathan nodded slowly. "So what happened? Why was she even bleeding?"

The man looked down at his chart again and then met Nathan's eyes. "Sir, she has a very deep and jagged wound right around the stomach area. It's hard to tell, but it appears to be a knife penetration." He paused. "You don't have any idea how this could've happened, Mr. Scott?"

Nathan was sure his eyes tripled in size. "Wh- I- I don't understand." He shook his head. "Are you saying Haley was stabbed?"

The doctor sighed heavily, realizing that this man really didn't have any idea how the girl had been harmed. "Yes, sir. That's how it appears." He turned his head as he heard a nurse calling his name. "I'm sorry, Mr. Scott. I've got to go, but I will speak to you again soon. If you gain any information on how this could have happened, please let someone know."

Nathan didn't even say anything as the doctor walked away. Then he remembered something and shouted after him.

The doctor turned around. "Yes, Mr. Scott?"

"When can I see her?"

"She's still unconscious," the doctor replied. "But I'm confident that she'll be up within the next hour or so. I'll have the nurse come out to notify you when she wakes up, alright?"

Nathan nodded slowly.

When Brooke returned from phoning Dane, Nathan didn't even notice her presence. She furrowed her brow and shook his shoulder lightly. "Nathan, what happened? Did the doctor tell you anything?"

His head snapped up, and he could tell that his eyes were still wide with shock. "Yeah, um…yeah."

After a moment, Brooke pushed him, "What is it, Nathan?"

Nathan stared at her, not believing the words which were about to escape his lips. They came out in a whisper. "Someone stabbed her."


	6. Chapter 6

**Ah, I love waking up to reviews! It always puts me in a good mood and leaves a smile on my face. Once again, I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I just keep getting more ideas for this story. So please enjoy, and thank you for reading and reviewing! Please continue.**

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Haley's eyes fluttered open to meet a beautiful pair of blue orbs staring at her. It didn't take her any time at all to know who they belonged to: Nathan. She'd know those eyes anywhere, and even after two years apart they were simply impossible to forget. However, she found herself wondering why he was the only one in the room. She began to panic. "Where's Jamie?" The words were meant to come out stronger and louder than they had, but her voice was a little groggy.

Nathan almost got down on his knees and thanked God personally when he felt Haley's hand begin to twitch as he held it in his own and then finally witnessed her eyes opening. It was slow but sure, and he had never been so happy to be staring into her chocolate brown orbs. He'd heard what the doctor had said about her being fine and that she'd be up in about an hour, but that did absolutely nothing to quell his worries for the woman. She'd been stabbed, for God's sake. How the hell that had happened, Nathan still hadn't a clue. But a million different thoughts and scenarios had played out in his mind while he sat by her side and held her hand. Eventually, he had forced himself to stop because picturing her in pain and having someone hurt her in that way practically had him foaming at the mouth. So instead, he resolved to just looking at her. However much pain she had been exposed to earlier on, she looked as if she were at complete peace with everything and everyone. Nathan hadn't gotten a chance to see her like that in a long time. She was always angry or stressed out, even if she didn't know it herself; he could tell. He ran his eyes over her each and every feature at least a hundred times, he was sure of it, and felt nothing but love and appreciation for her beauty because he knew that it wasn't simply on the outside. Haley was the best person he knew, and he willed himself to be more like her.

Her voice sounded horrible and nothing like her normal tone, but Nathan didn't care. He wasn't at all put off by it because it was just great to hear her voice. Sure, it had only been a few hours since he'd last heard it, but it had felt like an absolute eternity. When his mind had caught up enough to process her words, he answered her. "He's at home. Brooke took him, and she's staying with him tonight. Don't worry; he's fine." He managed a small, reassuring smile before squeezing her hand which was still held in his own. "He's worried about you though," he continued in a quieter voice.

The confused look on Haley's face was impossible for her to suppress. She tried to sit up a little but found it difficult, especially with Nathan holding onto one of her hands. She didn't know why she didn't automatically yank it away, but the thought never even crossed her mind. "Why?" she found herself asking.

"Are you kidding?" Nathan asked softly with a shake of his head. "Hales, he has every reason in the world to be worried. We all do. What the hell happened?" He'd wanted to put that question off a bit because every part of the situation was still fresh, and he was sure she wouldn't be ready to talk about it. But he couldn't help himself. He needed to know.

Haley closed her eyes briefly before bringing the lids up to meet Nathan's gaze. "It was an accident," she whispered. She found that she couldn't keep her eyes locked on his and instead turned her gaze to the wall behind his head, for she knew she wasn't telling the truth.

Nathan raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to her. "Hales, I'm not stupid. No one gets stabbed by accident, okay?" He paused. "You need to tell me what happened."

Haley sighed but found that the simple action hurt her. She pulled her hand away from Nathan's to grab her stomach, which only made the pain intensify. She instantly loosened the grip she held and looked over at Nathan, silently begging him to drop the issue.

He continued to stare at her, an expectant and stern look plastered onto his face until he heard the door open.

Both turned to look at Lucas, who let the door close carefully behind him. He walked slowly over to the vacant side of Haley's hospital bed, his hands shoved securely into his pockets. He took a seat and leaned closer to his best friend.

No one spoke for a moment or two as Lucas continued to stare her down. His eyes were narrowed, and he seemed to be thinking deeply about something or other. Then he finally opened his mouth, and what Haley thought was going to be her saving grace from talking about the incident turned out to be the exact opposite.

Lucas licked his lips thoroughly before opening his mouth to speak. His hands were still planted immovably in the pockets of his jacket, and his eyes never left Haley's. "It's good to see you awake," he started.

Another few minutes passed, and no one said a word. It seemed that the tension in the room had visibly thickened, and both Nathan and Haley were waiting with bated breath. "Hales, I know what he did," Lucas continued quietly yet strongly. "I have sat here for months and watched him hurt you, and so help me God if I have to go to jail to prove my point, that fucker will never touch you again. Do you hear me?"

"Luke-" Haley started.

"No, Haley," Lucas interrupted her. "This isn't negotiable, and I'm not having a conversation with you about it again. Don't tell me he didn't do it because that would be a lie, probably a habit you bummed off of that lazy jackass." He paused and shook his head for emphasis. "I'm done waiting, and I'm done watching. When I find him, he'll need a lot more than a fucking knife to stop me." Lucas stood up a moment later and made his way out of the room. He'd said all he needed to say.

After a few hints from his brother, Nathan had picked up on the man being alluded to. After just the first little bit, Nathan thought back to his conversation with Jamie just that night, and his eyes grew wide. He watched his brother leave and turned to Haley with a look of absolute horror on his face. "How could you be so stupid, Haley?" he almost roared as he stood up from his chair, kicking it back a few feet. "What the fuck were you thinking? Did he touch Jamie?" She was silent until he yelled the question again. "Did he touch my son?"

A single tear rolled down Haley's cheek. She was honestly scared and in pain, and the last thing she'd ever wanted was for Nathan to find out about all of this. "No," she answered with as much force as she could muster. "I wouldn't let that happen."

"Oh, really?" Nathan retorted with a scoff. "Shit, Haley." He put his hands on his hips and paced back and forth quickly. "I can't believe you put Jamie in danger like that. I can't believe you put _yourself _in danger like that. Jesus, look at yourself." Nathan knew he still didn't know the whole story, but he couldn't help himself. None of this was typical Haley behavior, and he was pissed at her for being so selfish and utterly stupid. He shook his head before his mind wandered to Dane. The anger that had been bubbling up inside of him instantly increased, and his fists clenched at his sides. He needed to find Lucas.

Not being able to fabricate a legitimate response to Nathan's rant, Haley just sat there. Her tears began to flow more freely, and she didn't bother to wipe them away. She watched as Nathan stormed out of the room and closed her eyes. She really wanted to see Jamie. She needed to know that he was okay.

Nathan caught up with Lucas just as he was about to exit the front doors of the hospital. He grabbed his arm roughly and instantly responded to his brother's prodding gaze. "I'm coming with you," he mumbled breathlessly, letting go of his brother's arm.

Lucas said nothing but continued to stare at his little brother before slowly nodding. The two walked out of hospital, both looking fiercely determined.

* * *

"_What the hell are you doing?" Haley bellowed. She stepped backwards as far as she could until she felt her back connect with the kitchen wall. _

_He continued his stalk towards her, knife in hand, as he licked his lips. "Shut up." _

_She shook her head and briefly closed her eyes tight before opening them again. "It's eight in the morning, and you're drunk. What are you doing?" She was very aware of the fact that her breathing had become more labored and her words were sounding frantic._

"_Shut up," he repeated slowly. His steps were just as slow, but he knew he wouldn't stop until he reached her. His grip on the knife tightened as he held it close to his side. _

_Haley was taking in each and every minute sound and movement either of them made. Her hands held onto the wall, and she literally had no idea what the fuck was going on. It was eight in the morning, and she had just returned from dropping Jamie off at school. She needed to get to work, and just before she had walked out the door he had walked in it. It was immediately obvious that he was drunk, and that was when the alarm bells had first started going off. Every other time he had come home drunk, the time got later and later, and the bruises got bigger and bigger. He had never come home this late before._

"_You keep teasing me," he mumbled. "And I'm tired of it. I'm not waiting any longer." Only a moment later he had crossed the short distance which had been separating them and placed a hand up on the wall beside her head. "Shh," he whispered as his lips landed on hers._

_Haley squealed involuntarily when she felt his lips on hers. She could taste the alcohol immediately and cringed. She didn't want to be doing this with him, especially not now. She felt the hand which held the knife connect with her thigh, and the cold blade seemed to burn right through her skin. _

_He forced his tongue into her mouth, ignoring the sounds of displeasure coming from her throat. He pressed his body impossibly close to her own and slid the knife up and down her thigh slowly._

_Managing to push him off of her forcefully as she retracted her lips from his, Haley tried to escape but found that it was nearly impossible to do so. "What the fuck are you doing?" she spat. "Get out of my way."_

_He did not like the way she was talking to him. Not at all. He removed the knife from her skin and brought it up in front of her face as he leaned in so his lips were positioned right outside her ear. "Do you see this, Hales?" he whispered. "It's a knife."_

"_No shit," Haley mumbled under her breath, hoping he hadn't heard. She really was not thinking about the knife; she simply wanted him to get away from her. The knife was not a threat at the moment, and she had no substantial evidence supporting his use of it. Then she spoke louder, "Please just get off of me. I need to go."_

_He pulled her away from the wall only so that he could slam her back into it with doubled force. His body was right up against hers again, and his mouth hadn't left her ear. "You don't need to go anywhere. You're staying right here, and I swear to God if you try any funny business you will not like the outcome." _

_His words were slurring together a bit, but Haley heard him loud and clear. She tried to think of a way to get herself out of the situation without being harmed further. Maybe if she could hurt him, knee him in that sensitive place, and push his torso away at the same time he wouldn't be able to harm her before she ran out of the apartment. The chances may be slim, but certainly they were better than the alternative of standing there, weak and powerless, while he took advantage of her. There was not a chance in hell of that happening._

_When she didn't speak again, he figured his words had gotten through, so he forced his mouth on hers again, not waiting for her lips to part before shoving his tongue into her mouth. One hand rested on her hip while the other had retreated back to her thigh, knife still in hand._

_She took a few more minutes of the horrid kissing before deciding that it was time to make her move. She didn't want to lose all of her courage before it was too late, so she summoned up the last bit and then went in. Her knee flew up very suddenly and hit him in the perfect spot while her hands reached up to push his chest away from her body._

_The blow had hurt him; that was for sure. As soon as her knee connected with his crotch, he backed away a bit, but when he felt her hands on his chest he somehow found the strength to take a powerful step forward. _

_And that was when it happened. Haley had thought she'd had him, but as soon as she felt that cold blade connect with her skin again she knew she was wrong. However, this time it wasn't just the blade pressed up against her thigh or grazing the back of her leg. The knife had sunk deep into her stomach, and all she felt in that moment was absolute pain, shock, and horror at what had just happened._

_His eyes widened noticeably as he slowly backed away from his victim. He watched her back slowly slide down the kitchen wall as she stared up at him in horror. His mouth suddenly felt very dry, and he had one thought only. He had to get out of here. Why had he done that? Why was she looking at him like he was a monster? How was he going to earn her forgiveness after this stunt? He felt his heart constricting, and he suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe. After staring blankly at her for another minute or so, he turned and ran out of the apartment as quickly as he could, not stopping until he'd reached his vehicle._

_Haley's eyes were still wide with shock as she sat against the kitchen wall. Her hands had come up to grip the handle of the knife, and the pain coursing through her allowed no other thought than the one currently running through her mind. She had to get it out. Maybe then the pain would subside, at least a little bit. It had to. Looking down for the first time, she saw the profuse amount of blood already staining her tank top and immediately felt as if she were going to throw up. She didn't even want to think about what it would feel like to vomit with the knife still inside of her body. Her breathing had become increasingly shallow, and she just now noticed that he was gone. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, willing herself to just pull it out. It couldn't hurt worse than the pain she'd felt when it entered her, could it? _

"_Fuck," she managed to breathe. She wished she could stand up, but when she'd tried her palm had slipped on the floor because of the perspiration that had accumulated in just a moment's time. Her arms also felt incredibly weak; in fact, her entire body felt like jelly. Everything except for her core, which was still throbbing with an immense pain that she'd never even imagined before. She didn't even notice that she had been crying until she felt the hot tears landing on her hands, which still gripped the weapon so tightly that her knuckles were white. "Damn it," she mumbled breathlessly. "Just do it." _

_She was wrong when she'd thought that the pain of the knife exiting her body would be much less than the pain of the original entering. It hurt like hell, and as soon as the knife's length had been removed and landed on the floor with a thud, she let out a shrill scream. She hadn't meant for it to happen, but she honestly couldn't help it. She knew she hadn't always had the highest threshold for pain, but she was sure that she was allowed to scream after that. She moved so that she was on her hands and knees as her right palm connected with the tiled floor, her left remaining protectively over her wound. After what felt like a half an hour, she reached the countertop and was finally able to pull herself up into a standing position. "Holy shit," she heard herself exclaim loudly, after she had adjusted to the pain of standing. Her right hand still gripped the countertop, and she began an inward battle with herself to continue standing. It would be so easy to just slump back onto the floor and cry. But she wasn't going to do that; she wouldn't let herself. She could handle this, and there was absolutely no reason for anyone else to find out about it. _

_It took her a literal twenty minutes to make it to her bedroom and then to the bathroom which adjoined it. She'd used the wall for support the entire way and winced with every step she took. It was obvious she wouldn't be making it into work today, so she managed a quick and labored call to the school, telling them that it was an emergency but she would be back as soon as she could. _

_Every movement was slow and painful, but Haley managed to get it all done. She removed every piece of clothing she'd been wearing, and instead of throwing them in the washer simply threw them out. Besides the blood stains, they were now permanently tainted in her mind anyways. She went through every single item in her first-aid kit and managed to clean up the wound as best she could. She hadn't at all been able to touch the actual scar because even when her hand was a few centimeters away the pain became too much for her to handle. When she finished, she bandaged it up and put new clothes on, placing a sweatshirt over her t-shirt just to ensure that the bandage and any blood which leaked through would not be seen. _

_She wasn't sure how much time had elapsed, but she was definitely aware of the fact that the pain had continually increased in intensity, and it was almost to the point of being unbearable. But she knew she had to press on because no one could find out about what had just happened. Everyone in her circle of friends already worried about her constantly, and what would they say to this? She didn't even want to think about it. And she found herself already wishing she could simply forget about the incident, however impossible that might be. Once she was satisfied with the magnanimous bandage on her stomach and the clothes placed securely over it, she made her way to the medicine cabinet. She wasn't exactly sure how many pills she took, but it was definitely enough to dull the pain for a while. However, she soon learned that nothing was going to do that soon enough. _

_She slept for God only knows how many hours before waking and realizing that the pills were still working their magic. She found it a bit easier to walk, and her breathing had returned to a much more normal rate. When she looked at the time, she realized that Nathan would be dropping Jamie off soon, and she knew she needed to make something for her son to eat. She didn't even want to think about the possibility of Dane showing up. _

_Once the lasagna had been placed in the oven, Haley sat down on the couch and rested her head against the back of it, her eyes closed. She found that if she kept her eyes shut for most of the time that she could focus on other things, and the pain wouldn't seem so great. She pictured Jamie's face and thought about their Friday night game nights, which got her thinking about Nathan and what had occurred last Friday. Then her mind was flooded with flashbacks of their marriage, and she found herself only thinking about the happy times. She thought about the nights she, Jamie, and Nathan would spend huddled on the couch together watching cartoons or sports. And even if she didn't enjoy the running program on the television, it didn't matter because she was with her guys. They were all that mattered to her in the world, and she missed that feeling. Of course, she still had it with Jamie, but she couldn't bring herself to think about Nathan in that way anymore. However, with her eyes closed, her mind eventually wandered to the bedroom two and three years ago. She had absolutely no idea how Nathan managed to make her feel so incredibly special and content each and every time they had sex, and quite frankly she really didn't care. But in that moment, she realized that she missed it. It had been too long. She didn't miss sex; she missed sex with Nathan._

_She was jolted out of her daydream when she heard the buzzer on the oven go off, and her eyes flipped open. She stood as hastily as was humanly possible given her condition and made her way into the kitchen, turning the oven off. She knew it was out of the question for her to eat anything at the moment. She still felt as if she were going to puke, and she was sure if she tried to swallow even the tiniest morsel of food her body would absolutely crumble at the pain she was sure to endure. So she made her way back to the living room and turned on the television, waiting for Jamie._

_When she heard her phone vibrating, she reached for it and flipped it open, seeing that she had a text message from Dane. Her heart immediately began to beat faster and not in the way that one would want it to. She hesitated before pressing the button which would open the message and reveal the words to her, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she read that he wouldn't be coming home until late. That sigh hurt, and she made a mental note to avoid the action if at all possible. She knew it would be hard, as the reaction was simply natural to her, as it was for most other human beings. She placed her phone back down on the arm of the chair and tried to find the least painful position to sit in while she waited. _

Haley was now sitting up in the hospital bed and found that the memory came flooding back to her all too vividly. However, she was confused as to why she couldn't remember anything past that point. Obviously Nathan had shown up, since he had been the one to take her to the hospital, but she didn't remember any interaction with him or Jamie. She remembered vaguely that she had begun to feel very heated and very dizzy and then had apparently passed out.

She looked over at the clock which was hanging on the white wall directly to the left of her. It was just past midnight, and her eyes had been feeling heavy for almost an hour. She hadn't been able to get to sleep because she was worried about everybody. She was worried about Jamie. Of course, it was comforting to know that Brooke was staying with him and would certainly look out for him, but it didn't at all help to quiet the words floating through her head. At the moment, she was more worried about Nathan and Lucas. They'd both seemed so angry, and the last thing she wanted them to do was go find him and do something incredibly stupid. If either one of them got hurt, she would never forgive herself.

Then there was the way Nathan had targeted all of his anger at her. He'd said she was stupid and that she had put Jamie in danger. In her heart, she knew that those accusations held some truth, but she wasn't going to admit that. She had never expected things to get so out of hand with Dane, and she certainly never thought that her relationship with him would land her here, in a hospital bed.

It was all just too much. Haley lowered herself down into a comfortable sleeping position and closed her eyes. She supposed she would find out in the morning if all her worrying had been for something or for nothing. Until then, she would just have to pray and rest up. However, when she heard the hospital room door close and the voice that followed that sound, her eyes snapped open to meet another pair floating at the foot of her bed.

The blonde man smiled and licked his lips. "Hey, beautiful."


	7. Chapter 7

**Gosh, so sorry for the slow update! It's been over a week, which definitely will not become a regular thing. But anyways, here is Chapter 7, and I'm really excited about where we'll be going from here. So here we are, and please review!**

* * *

Haley's heart rate picked up, and her breathing followed suit. What the hell was he doing? Why was he in her private hospital room, and why was he smiling? His grin made her sick to her stomach, and she closed her eyes briefly, hoping that what she'd just seen had just been some sort of mirage or something. However, she was soon profusely disappointed when she opened her eyes to find him still standing there, grinning like a damn fool. Surely he wasn't supposed to even be in the building, right? Maybe she'd read the clock wrong. Glancing subtly to her left, Haley was reassured of the time, it being just past midnight. Visiting hours definitely didn't extend into the wee hours of the morning, so how had he gotten in? Her mind was racing uncontrollably, and her hand instinctively gripped the nurse's call button which lay underneath the sheet that had been pulled up to her chest. As soon as she saw him take one step closer, her thumb pushed down on the button, and her breathing quickened again.

Dane held his hands up defensively as he took another step closer to her. "Before you say anything, Haley, I'm here to apologize. I just want to talk and to say that I'm sorry. I keep overreacting, and it's really not fair of me. You deserve better than that." He took another tentative step until he was right next to the side of her bed.

Haley glared intensely at him. Was that supposed to be some sort of sick joke? Had he really just apologized to her? Surely no one was that stupid. Haley managed to find a strength that she didn't know she had. After all, she'd pressed the call button, and the nurse would be there at any second. What further harm could he cause in a hospital, for God's sake? "You're damn right; I do deserve better than that. And I'm done with it, okay? Jamie and I are through with you." She paused, managing to sit up in the bed. "And just who the fuck do you think you are? You don't stab somebody and then apologize for it. I swear to God, you're the most bipolar person I've ever met in my entire life."

"Haley-" he started.

"No," she interrupted him forcefully. "You need to leave and stay the hell away from me and my son. You are a horrible person. And just so you know, Lucas and Nathan know what you did, and I cannot imagine either one of them holding back when they spot you." Where the hell was the nurse? She was sure a couple of minutes had passed since she pressed the button. She could be dying, and no one would know.

Dane rolled his eyes. "Haley, do you really think I'm scared of your punk ass ex-husband? I could take the guy down with one punch." He shook his head. "I can't believe you were ever married to that guy. I mean, what the hell did you ever see in him?"

Haley laughed sardonically but was cut off by the pain stemming from her stomach. For the most part, the drugs she'd been given were helping, but they were really starting to wear off. "For one, he never threatened me or tried to pressure me into doing things that I wasn't comfortable doing. Nathan is a real man, unlike you." Haley couldn't help but be disgusted and utterly frustrated with his behavior. I mean, it wasn't enough that he tried to force himself on her and then stabbed her when she wouldn't cooperate, but he also had to show up randomly in her hospital room, trying to pull off some bullshit apology and fake sincerity she knew he was incapable of feeling.

He was starting to get angry; she could see it in his eyes. But she wouldn't let it faze her because of their surroundings and the fact that the nurse would be there any minute. Just then, she heard the door open and breathed a silent sigh of relief.

The nurse who had just entered the room looked around the room, a bit confused at first. When she saw the man standing next to the patient's bed, she cocked an eyebrow. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Visiting hours have been over for a significant amount of time now. You can come back tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Don't tell him that," Haley spoke up. She turned to Dane. "Don't ever come back here. Just go, okay? You need some help, and I desperately need some space."

Dane's eyes had acquired a new fire. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. "Fine. Go fuck whoever the hell you want then. I'm done." He turned and brushed his shoulder against the nurse's as he walked out.

Haley closed her eyes for another few seconds and opened them to see the nurse standing over her with a comforting smile. "Is there anything else you need, or will that be all?" She chuckled, obviously unaware of the fact that her patient's attacker had just stopped by for a little visit.

Had she not been so tired and so angry, Haley might have managed a smile. Instead, she simply nodded her head and spoke quietly. "I'm fine. Thanks."

The nurse watched her for another moment before turning to walk out of the room. She closed the door extremely quietly, unlike Dane, who had caused quite a ruckus.

Haley lowered herself back onto the bed and closed her eyes. She had no idea what had just happened or what it all meant. What she did know was that when Dane said he was done with something, there was always more to the story. However, she hoped that this situation would prove to be the outlier.

She tried to sleep for what seemed like hours and didn't get anywhere. Her body and mind were both completely exhausted, but the latter wouldn't allow her any rest. She kept thinking about Jamie and how much she wanted to see him. He didn't deserve any of the drama her actions had spurred on, and she found her mind wandering back to Nathan's words. What if Dane really had hit Jamie, even just once? She couldn't imagine how horrible she would feel if that were the case, and she knew it would take a lot more than a sad explanation to earn Nathan's forgiveness for that. However, it wasn't really his that she seeked; it was that of her son. She knew that Jamie knew about what Dane had been doing to her. Granted, he didn't know about every single incident, and she hoped to God that he hadn't connected the dots with this one. She ran through the memory of the first time Dane had hit her, and the look on Jamie's face when he had seen her just moments later was absolutely terrifying. She didn't want to cause her son any more damage, and it was hard for her to admit that Jamie had been put on the backburner a bit after her split with Nathan. It wasn't because he meant less to her; on the contrary, he meant even more. But after the divorce, she had changed into what could only be described as a completely different person, and she was starting to question that person's judgment more and more.

What did Dane showing up mean, really? Haley now found herself wide awake and sitting up in the bed again. She was still shocked that he'd even shown up. After all, who the hell did that? She was proud that she hadn't just curled up into a ball and let him stomp all over her again, but she was also disappointed in herself for not saying all of the things she truly felt towards him. One thing did manage to quell her worries though. If Dane had showed up to see her, then it meant that Lucas and Nathan hadn't found him when they'd left the hospital a couple of hours ago, especially with the way Dane had been talking. So that meant that her best friend and her ex-husband were most likely safe and sound, and she desperately hoped that they had calmed down a little bit. She knew how angry they must be at both herself and at Dane, for she felt the same way. But that didn't mean that they needed to go kick the guy's ass just to prove a point, did it? It was obvious to Haley, as it always had been, that men operated way differently than women did.

Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of thoughts ran circles around Haley's mind before she was finally able to fall asleep. Even then, she had nightmares and woke up several times, but she was thankful for the sleep that she had been able to catch. What finally held her attention when she awoke around eight o'clock was Nathan, seated on the same side of the bed which he had been the previous night. She noticed that he wasn't holding her hand this time. The expression on his face was fairly vacant and difficult to read, so she decided to wait until he wanted to speak to her.

Nathan had been watching her sleep for close to an hour. She looked peaceful, although every few minutes her face would contort or she would mumble incoherent sentences. He was sure she must be having a nightmare, for in the six years that they'd been married, he had watched her many times and had never seen her do that. When she opened her eyes and yawned, he turned his gaze to the wall opposite him, which held the clock, and stared blankly.

He was still angry at both Haley and Dane. In fact, he was also angry with Brooke and Lucas, for they had known of the situation and apparently did nothing to stop it. But he'd made a decision earlier that morning not to yell at Haley. He wanted to have a calm and collected conversation with her and voice his true concerns without stressing her out any further. He knew she didn't mean for it to happen, and after all she was in the hospital. He couldn't imagine how she must feel after the incident. But he knew he would never understand her reasons for allowing Dane to be in her and Jamie's lives.

Eventually, Haley pushed herself up against the pillows. She'd been watching Nathan's face intently and still couldn't decipher how he was feeling or what he was thinking. She was sure he was still angry because Nathan never was one to just let go of an issue, especially not one of this magnitude. But she really hoped that he wouldn't shout at her or simply lecture her about it all and then leave again. She kind of wanted to open up about it and talk to him, but a part of her just wasn't sure that she was ready for that yet. Plus, should her ex-husband really be the one she confides in? Wasn't there like a rule or something against that?

Finally, after three or four minutes of absolute silence, Nathan spoke, albeit quietly. "I dropped Jamie off at school before I came here. He wanted to stay home, but I didn't think that would be a good idea." He leaned forward in his chair and laced his hands together, finally looking at her.

Haley nodded slowly. She was actually quite nervous. She didn't know what to say, and she didn't know what she expected him to say. "Thank you," she said quietly as she glanced to her hands, which were placed in her lap wringing themselves together.

Nathan nodded and took a deep breath. "Hales, I don't want to be mad at you," he continued in a slightly louder voice.

She looked up and met his eyes. "I don't want you to be mad at me either, Nathan."

He looked down to the floor and then slowly raised his gaze back to her face. "But I honestly can't help it. I don't want to fight, but I just have to know what you were thinking. I don't understand why you would stay with someone like that and allow him to interact with our son. You're smarter than that, Haley."

Haley looked down again. Everything was easier to say when she wasn't looking at those gorgeous blue eyes, so she decided not to look up again unless it was absolutely imperative that she do so. She shrugged her shoulders and continued to play with her hands. "I'm sorry, Nathan. I just, I don't know…I guess I just wanted someone. I wanted to feel safe, and at first that's how Dane made me feel. He was different in the beginning, and being with him was just easy." She would've added something about the fact that she had been missing Nathan but effectively decided against it. That was one thing he definitely did not need to know.

He shook his head incredulously. "Isn't that ironic?" He sighed, a little frustrated that she wasn't looking at him. "Look, don't apologize to me, okay? That's not what I need to hear. What I need is some justification, and loneliness is no reason to completely disregard the safety of you and Jamie. I mean, how long were you two dating before he moved in? That's a big step in any relationship, one that I would think you'd have some major precautions about. But I guess I was wrong about that."

She was silent, not really sure what to say. She knew none of her reasons would justify her actions, so what was the point in stating them over and over again? It wouldn't mean anything to Nathan.

Nathan unlocked his fingers and placed both his hands on the respective knees, sitting up in his chair. "I'm really starting to think that you're not the same person I married anymore, and I've got to say that it scares me a little because that girl was amazing."

Haley couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes, and she honestly didn't know why they were there. Everything he was saying was just so true, and she hated that he was right about this. Once again, she was silent and continued to stare at her hands.

"Damn it, Haley, look at me!" Nathan shouted from his seat. "Don't just sit there like a child."

Her head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes at him. "You know what, Nathan? Don't do that. I know I've made some poor decisions lately, but I do not deserve that from you. You've been here for what, two weeks? You have no right to judge me on the way I've been living."

"I disagree, Haley. And do you know why? Because I've got a six-year-old son who is very much a part of my business, and I deserve to have a say in who is present in his life, especially when it's some lunatic you barely know."

Haley rolled her eyes. Her nervousness was slowly being replaced by a growing frustration. "I know you do. But when you removed yourself from that six-year-old's life, you removed yourself from having the right to say who is and who isn't in his life."

He shook his head. "Yeah, well I'm back now, so you'd better fucking get used to it. Obviously his well-being needs some better monitoring."

She glared at him. "Don't you dare criticize my parenting when you gave up that role. And you know what? I have changed, Nathan. I don't have you to look out for me anymore, and I don't have that stupid blissful happiness that I had when we were married. It was all a lie anyways."

Nathan wasn't sure how the conversation had shifted to their marriage, but things were definitely getting more heated. "Oh, our marriage was a lie? Funny, I didn't know that." He shook his head again. "Being away from me shouldn't change who you are. I'm still the same person I was when we met."

Haley crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I'll certainly agree with you there. When we met, you were a cocky bastard who slept around with God only knows how many women. And here you are today, living the same life. You're still the same son of a bitch who has sex with every woman on the planet."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't exaggerate the situation. That's not what I meant when I said that, and you know it. I could never go back to being the boy I was because you changed me." He mumbled the last sentence quietly, looking down at the ground.

She scoffed. "Really, Nathan? I'm having a terribly hard time believing that." She waited for him to look at her, and when he did she continued. "Because if I had really changed you, you wouldn't be able to just go out and sleep with whoever the hell you happen to meet. If our marriage and our love really were true, then you wouldn't have been able to walk away. You wouldn't have been able to move on so damn quickly."

Nathan brought his hands up to rub over his face. Then he looked at her, his mood softening again. In turn, his voice quieted. "Hales, how can you even say that? What we have is real, and you denying it is the only lie as far as I can see. You are the only woman I've ever loved, and you're the only woman I'll ever want to love."

"Just not the only one you want to fuck," Haley answered with a glare. She couldn't help herself. She knew she might be behaving a bit harshly, but what the hell did he expect? She'd read so many magazines over the last two years and had seen pictures and articles about Nathan dating or sleeping with busty bimbos, and it had grown old very fast. She couldn't even keep count of how many nights she had lain awake in bed, simply because she couldn't get the pictures of him and those girls out of her head. Did he really think that she enjoyed picturing him with other women? How could he not see what a problem that was?

He sighed, growing extremely tired of talking about his sex life over the past two years. "Jesus, Haley…will you please just drop it?"

Haley shook her head. "Whatever. I don't even care anymore. It's your life; do with it what you please."

"Damn," he mumbled, slumping down in his chair. He really didn't think it was fair for her to speak to him that way. Of course he knew that sleeping with all of those girls had been a mistake, and he certainly regretted it with every fiber of his being. So the last thing he needed was for her to rub it in his face constantly. He was tired of being reminded of his mistakes, especially when their current situation had been caused by mistakes of her doing and not his.

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Nathan decided to change the subject back to Dane and spoke up. He knew she must be wondering about what he and Lucas had accomplished after leaving the hospital the previous evening. "Just so you know, we didn't find him. Neither of us knows where he is."

What was the harm in telling the truth? It's not like anything serious had happened with Dane last night anyways. Besides, she was angry, and the words just sort of flew out before she had a chance to stop them. "He came here late last night."

"What the hell did he have to say?" Nathan asked quickly, shooting up in his seat.

She shook her head. "Nothing important. I called the nurse in as soon as I saw him, so he was only in here for like two minutes. The first thing he did was apologize."

Nathan's eyes widened. "Who the fuck apologizes after they stab somebody? What a Goddamn prick."

"That's what I said!" Haley exclaimed, uncrossing her arms.

"Please, for the love of God, tell me you did not accept this so-called apology," Nathan pleaded, now crossing his own arms over his chest.

Haley rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't. I told him that we were over and that he needed to leave us alone."

Nathan nodded slowly. "Okay, so do you think he'll actually do that?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's hard to say. He said we were definitely done, but he's said that before. I swear, he changes his mind like every five seconds." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I definitely hope that we are done dealing with him though."

"What do you know? We agree on something," Nathan mumbled sarcastically. The whole talk hadn't really gone the way he had wanted it to, but he knew he'd have more chances to speak to her. He made a mental note to try and keep his cool a little better the next time he tried to approach her.

Haley didn't answer him and was thankful when she saw the door open, revealing Brooke, who had yet to speak to her since her arrival at the hospital. Her eyes were filled with tears, and Haley knew she must be worried about her. She hated that she was the source of everyone's pain, but it wasn't like she wasn't feeling it as well.

Nathan stood up, knowing that the two girls probably needed to talk. He was grateful that Brooke had stayed with Jamie the night before, but he knew that she desperately wanted to speak to Haley, so he decided to give them some space. Without another word, he left the room, leaving the two women alone.

* * *

A few days had passed, and Haley was finally able to go home. She wasn't really sure why she'd had to stay at the hospital so long anyways. She was fine; she would live. It was now Monday morning, and Nathan had picked her up to take her back to the apartment. Brooke couldn't do it because she was in New York for business. The trip had been planned far in advance, and even though Brooke mentioned not going Haley insisted that she did. She wished everyone wouldn't worry about her so damn much. She could handle it. Lucas was working as well, in town, but Haley hadn't spoken to him since his and Nathan's outburst the night of the incident. He was avoiding her, and it was blatantly obvious.

Nathan had spent the majority of his time by Haley's side, as he didn't have any work to do like the rest of her friends. They didn't talk much, as there was still some animosity between them stemming from their last few arguments, but Haley was thankful for the company. Nathan, on the other hand, simply refused to leave her. He was still determined to prove to her how dedicated he was. Besides, there was absolutely no shot in hell of him risking Dane showing up there again. He still wanted to find the guy, just to pound him.

Nathan had dropped Jamie off at school already and then picked up Haley from the hospital. He was extremely happy when they got back to her apartment and he was able to see her in real clothes for the first time in a few days. He was tired of looking at her in that bland hospital gown, although she somehow managed to make the thing look stunning. He was sure there wasn't a single article of clothing which didn't complement her features and figure.

Haley lay down on the couch and closed her eyes. She still hadn't been sleeping well, and as a result she was extremely exhausted.

"I'm just going to run and get something from the car," Nathan commented. "I'll be back in a flash."

"Mhmm," Haley responded. She placed a hand on her stomach and kept her eyes closed, willing herself to fall asleep.

When Nathan returned from his car, Haley's eyes shot open when she heard a loud thud. She looked over to see Nathan just closing the front door. She easily guessed what the thud had been when she saw a large suitcase planted in front of his frame. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked, sitting up on the couch.

Nathan grabbed the handle on his suitcase and began to roll it through the room. "What does it look like, Hales? I'm about to unpack," he responded nonchalantly.

Haley narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?" she asked slowly. She wasn't really sure she wanted to hear his answer.

He smiled at her and stopped rolling his suitcase. "I'll be staying with you for a while," he replied and then picked up the case again, rolling it down the hallway towards her bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

When Nathan reached the bedroom, he opened the door and rolled his suitcase over to set it by the bed. He strolled over to the closet and opened the doors, seeing nothing but men's clothes occupying half of the space. He began to get angry again but decided to put all of that anger into his next task so that he wouldn't take it out on Haley. He began to grab handfuls of clothes and threw them onto the floor next to him with all his might. Hangers were being broken, but he really didn't care and started to tear them away from the rail with even more force.

Had he just said he was going to be staying with them? Surely she had heard him wrong. Haley got up from the couch and made her way to her bedroom down the hall. Her pace was much slower than Nathan's had been, but she made it there. She still found it to be very painful when she walked too fast or got up too quickly, so she tried to measure her speed according to the pain that was sure to follow. The door was open, so she walked right in and gasped when she saw what Nathan was doing. She immediately stomped over to him, confused as hell as to why he was doing any of it. There was absolutely no need for him to come and stay with her, and it was definitely not imperative that he barge into her bedroom and begin destroying things. She grabbed his arm forcefully and pulled him back from her closet, moving so that she was in between him and the area of terror. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shouted.

Had he not already gotten most of Dane's clothes out of the closet, Nathan would have tried to step around her to finish the job off. But he knew she must be wondering what the hell he had been talking about when he said he was going to stay with them for a while. He waited for her to remove her hand from his arm before he spoke. "Well, the first thing I am doing is removing all of this useless shit out of your apartment. He doesn't live here anymore, so his stuff can go." Nathan didn't yell, as Haley had, for again he was mindful of her condition.

Her mouth dropped open. "So you think that just because Dane doesn't live here anymore that you get to take his spot?" She scoffed. "I don't think so."

Nathan couldn't help but to roll his eyes. "Haley, that's not what I'm saying at all." He paused to shove his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I'm only moving his stuff because I don't want you to have to do it. You've got enough crap to deal with as it is. And my things are here because, as I said, I'll be staying with you for a while. And the last time I checked, there's no closet in the living room, so we're going to have to share."

Haley narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm a big girl, Nathan. I don't need you to babysit me. I'm fine now, and I will be fine later. You don't need to do all of this." Haley was still desperately trying not to say anything that would allude to the way she was feeling on the inside. The concept was something difficult for even her to understand, so she was absolutely sure that no one else would get it either. She'd never felt this way before, and she was scared that if Nathan came to stay with her he would reveal those feelings for himself, and she would lose her mask. She didn't need everyone around her worrying about her and trying to help her. She was, in fact, a big girl and could take care of herself. She would find a way to work through whatever the hell it was that was going on inside of her.

"I disagree, Hales," Nathan responded quietly. "I know you're a big girl, and I know that you don't think you need me to stay here. But you are not fine, so please do not lie to me. Despite what you may think, I really do still love you, and I'm going to be here to take care of you and to help you through whatever this is. This isn't under discussion. I've already cleared it with Brooke and Lucas."

She rolled her eyes, which were now filled to the brim with tears. She mentally reprimanded herself when she felt one roll down her cheek. "Of course Brooke is going to agree to something like this." She shook her head as she felt another tear slide down her face. She didn't want him to see her cry. She stepped forward so that she was almost touching Nathan's chest and took both of his hands in her own.

Nathan willingly removed his hands from his pockets when he saw what she was doing. He loved the feel of her small hands in his again, and he hadn't been this close to her in what felt like forever. He could see that she had begun to cry, and he wanted nothing more than to make her stop. He could never take it when he knew she was in pain, especially now that she refused to open up to him. He looked down into her warm, brown orbs, searching for any hint of what was about to happen. He didn't know what she was feeling, but he was completely reveling in the feeling of being so close to her. He removed one of his hands from hers and brought it up to wipe a stray tear off her face with the pad of his thumb. Then he cupped her cheek lovingly and continued to stare intensely into her eyes.

Haley didn't know what he was doing, but she knew it was not good territory to be in. Feeling his hand on her face like that and seeing the way that he was staring at her made her completely weak in the knees, but she knew she had to finish what she had started. This was not the reason she had taken his hands in her own so carefully. Slowly, she walked them both over to the open bedroom door and pushed him just out of the doorway, their hands still connected.

Nathan knew that they had moved, but he honestly had no idea where they were. She could have led him right off a cliff, and he was sure he wouldn't have noticed. He moved both of his hands to rest on her hips and moved even closer to her, their chests now touching. He leaned his head down.

When Haley realized what he was doing, she turned her head just in time for him to plant an impossibly soft kiss on her cheek. She closed her eyes briefly, willing herself to go on with what she had intended instead of being drawn in by him. Why did he have to be so damn good? Somehow, though, she found the strength from deep inside of herself and brought her hands up to his chest. She pushed him away from her gently so that he was now standing completely in the hallway. Then she dropped her hands and grabbed the door handle. "Please just go," she whispered before shutting the door quietly.

Nathan stood there for what he was sure was at least thirty minutes. What had just happened? He, in fact, felt incredibly stupid for thinking that she actually wanted him to kiss her. What the hell had he been thinking? Obviously she knew what he was trying to do, as she had turned her head just before his lips would have landed on hers, and then she'd told him to leave again. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He was surprised at the sensation he felt from just holding her hand and kissing her cheek, but it had just been so long. He clenched his fists at his sides and closed his eyes as he started to walk down the hall.

Haley walked over to her bed and got under the covers, pleased with how instantly warm she felt. God, what had she done? She'd almost let him kiss her, for crying out loud. That was not okay, not in the slightest. She sighed and decided not to dwell on it, as it was in the past. And that's where it needed to stay; she could not let it happen again. Closing her eyes, she prayed that he would do what she had asked of him.

Five hours later, Nathan returned with Jamie, having picked him up from school. He didn't see Haley, and his guess was that she hadn't left her bedroom all day.

Haley had heard the front door, as she had only been lying in bed awake for the past two hours. She got up, deciding that her desire to see Jamie was much stronger than her will not to see Nathan. She made her way out into the living room and smiled when she saw him.

Jamie looked up from the shoe he had just been tying and smiled. "Momma!" He stood up and ran to her, wrapping his arms securely around her hips.

"Hey, baby," she greeted him and bent down to place a kiss on his forehead. "How was your day?"

Jamie smiled again. "It was just okay, but then Daddy picked me up and told me he's going to stay with us now. Isn't that awesome?"

"Wow," she answered slowly. "That is definitely something." She looked up at Nathan, who was busy fidgeting with his hands. "Why don't you go put your stuff in your room?"

Once Jamie was in his bedroom, Haley stood back up, straightening herself out. She fixed her gaze on the ground before speaking. "I cannot believe that you would tell him something like that when I specifically told you to leave. You're not staying here, Nathan."

Nathan took a step closer to her and crossed his arms over his chest. "I am staying here, Hales, like it or not. You're just going to have to accept that."

"You are unbelievable," she breathed, throwing her hands into the air. "Who do you think you are?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Who do I think I am? I think I am the father of a boy who needs me right now, seeing as his mother has gotten herself into a situation which apparently only allows her to lie in bed twenty-four hours a day." Nathan really wanted to be nice and respectful with her, but she just made it so damn hard. She had to know that he was staying, and there was not a single thing that she could do about it.

Haley's head shot up at his words. "I hate you," she said quietly but forcefully before turning on her heel and marching back to her bedroom and slamming the door shut.

Jamie returned from his room a moment later and looked around before settling his eyes on his dad. "Where's Mom?"

Nathan sighed. "She's resting. I think it's just going to be us guys tonight."

The boy's mouth turned up into a smile. "Does that mean there will be pizza?"

A small chuckle escaped Nathan's lips, despite how he was feeling about his situation with Haley at the moment. "Oh, yes; there will be pizza."

* * *

Haley returned to work within the week, simply because she was absolutely fed up with lying in bed all day and wallowing in self-pity. What good did it do? Besides, she was pissed at Nathan, Brooke, and Lucas, and she knew that the distraction was the only thing that might actually help to calm her emotions. Her new roommate had been totally opposed to the proposition, but after all what could he really do to stop her? She was still having trouble dissecting her thoughts and the way she felt about everything that had taken place with Dane, but she eventually convinced herself that it didn't matter. She didn't want to think about it anymore.

Once she'd been back at work for a week and Nathan had been living there for two weeks, Haley began to appreciate his presence more. He cleaned the apartment, cooked for all of them, and looked after Jamie like it was no big deal. She was thankful because it gave her a chance to rest and focus on catching up with work. When she let herself get really comfortable, she almost thought she enjoyed his being there, but she quickly quashed that preposterous idea. Even though they'd been living together for two weeks, they'd hardly spoken. Nathan offered her things every day, and she simply replied with a negative or affirmative shake of the head. It wasn't that she was avoiding him; she simply did not see a reason for them to speak, especially when his stay was still rather unwelcome and surely temporary.

On Tuesday Nathan dropped Jamie off at school and then returned to the apartment. His habit had become to offer Haley breakfast once he returned, and when she refused he made her eat anyways. So as always, he made his way down the hall and opened her bedroom door, but he did not find a ready-to-go-to-work Haley sitting on the bed. Instead, with her back turned to him, she was reaching up into the closet, wearing only a black lacy bra and matching panties. She held her iPod in one hand with the headphones placed securely in her ears while she hummed softly to herself.

Nathan could literally only stare. He could not believe how turned on he was at the sight of her in her underwear. I mean, she was just getting dressed, for God's sake. He should've been able to control himself better than that. After watching her perfect figure for a few more seconds, Nathan realized that she could turn around at any moment, and he did not want to be on the receiving end of that. He hastily closed the door and then marched himself straight to the bathroom down the hall and closed the door, instantly pushing his pants to his ankles.

He didn't even know how much time had passed, but as he stood there gripping the countertop fiercely while working on himself with the other hand, it damn sure felt like forever. His eyes were closed tight as he pictured the scene he had just left, but the simulation he was attempting to get a release from just didn't feel at all like pleasure compared to what he knew the real thing would be like. He let out a short, frustrated groan as he continued.

After finally getting her clothes for the day picked out and on, Haley made her way into her bathroom to blow dry her hair. However, when she opened the closet she did not see the hair dryer. "Crap," she muttered, remembering that she had left it in the other bathroom, where she had showered the previous day. She kicked the closet door shut before making her way out of the room and down the hall. She turned the knob and threw the door to the other bathroom open, stopping dead in her tracks.

Nathan immediately stilled his movements. His eyes met hers and he couldn't peel them away no matter how much he wanted to just die right then and there. He wondered briefly if he was, in fact, in hell. He had absolutely no idea what to do. Should he keep going and just act like she wasn't there? Should he apologize? Should he pull his pants up? It didn't seem to matter though, since his body stayed completely frozen.

At least sixty seconds had passed. Nathan was sure, for he had begun counting to distract himself. Still, his eyes were trained on hers and hers on his. He continued to ask himself why he wasn't moving but could not come up with a legitimate answer to that question.

Another minute passed wherein nothing was exchanged aside from the smoldering looks each was emitting. Here, Nathan realized he had to do something. He couldn't just stand there like an idiot; they could be there forever. His body didn't change position as he spoke. "Haley, I-" he began.

"Shh," she quieted him, taking a step forward.

Nathan watched as she reached him and placed her index finder over his lips to silence him. What the hell was she doing? Wasn't the situation bad enough already? Did she really need to make it even more embarrassing for him?

The questions all stopped as he watched her next move. One moment, her eyes had been staring into his, and before he knew it she had dropped to her knees. When he felt her lips on him, he drew in a sharp breath and gripped the countertop tighter. A moment later, she was moving her head, and he moved both his hands into her damp hair to guide her, although she really didn't need much guidance. "Fuck, Hales," he groaned as she took more of him in her mouth.

He didn't want it to stop. That was the only coherent thought running through his mind. Everything else was all mashed together. His vision was blurry, and as she increased her pace his moans only got louder and longer. It had been so long since he had felt her mouth, or her hands for that matter, on him in that way, and the pleasure coursing through his entire being was almost too much for him to take. He wanted it to last forever.

And before he knew it, it was over. Of course, he had known the end was near, and when he spilled himself into her he was sure he cried out loud enough for every neighbor to hear. She was still on her knees, watching his face now, when he reopened his eyes. "Shit, Haley," he breathed, still trying to figure out what the hell had just happened while he came down from his high.

Then she was standing. She looked into his eyes again before turning to leave. All thoughts of blow drying her hair had certainly disappeared.

"Haley?" he called when he saw her leaving. He had to know.

She turned around, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, Nathan?"

"What, um…what…what was that?" he stuttered.

Haley raised an eyebrow and smiled with a nonchalant shrug. "You looked like you could use some help."

Nathan was sure his eyes were about to pop out of his head, both from the intense pleasure he had just felt and from the shock that was still running through his mind. "What the fuck?" he mumbled to himself.

Haley stayed late at work, deciding to grade her papers there rather than at home, and when she finally returned to the apartment Jamie was already getting ready for bed. She threw her keys and her purse onto her bed before making her way into the boy's room to tell him good night. She figured Nathan had already read him a story, as he was nowhere to be seen. After giving Jamie his kiss, she shut his bedroom door and wandered into the kitchen, finding Nathan leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed. She wandered to the fridge and opened the door, scanning its contents carefully. She looked up when she heard Nathan clear his throat.

"I made dinner earlier, and there's a plate in the microwave if you want."

She nodded slowly before closing the fridge and beginning to heat up the food she found in the microwave.

He watched her for a few minutes, and when he realized that he wasn't going to get anything out of her he decided to take the plunge. "Are we really not going to talk about this, Hales?"

She stole a quick glance back at him. "Talk about what?" she asked innocently.

Nathan raised an eyebrow and crossed one ankle over the other. "Oh, I don't know…how about the fact that this morning you just randomly decided to give me a blowjob?"

Haley let out a small chuckle. "I'd hardly call it random, Nathan."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, I don't care what you call it; it still happened. And I want to know why. I mean, you haven't touched me in forever, and you always seem so repulsed by my presence. I'm not understanding."

Haley took the now warm food from the microwave and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "Look, don't read too much into it, okay? It didn't mean anything. You needed help, so I gave it to you. It's not that big of a deal." She shrugged.

"Um, yes it is, Haley," Nathan replied.

"Um, no it isn't, Nathan," she mocked him. "Seriously, drop it. It's over, and we don't need to talk about it. I'm going to bed." Without allowing him any generous amount of time to reply, she snuck out of the kitchen with her food and drink and made her way back to the bedroom.

Nathan had really wanted to clear the issue up that evening. It had been killing him all day long, wondering what that meant and if it even meant anything at all. Surely it had to, right? Your ex-wife didn't just drop to her knees and give you head for no reason at all; there had to be something. He sighed as he watched her walk away, realizing that she really wasn't going to give him anything to work with. He turned off the kitchen light and made his way into the living room, where he fell onto the couch, preparing himself for another rough night of sleep.

Haley shut her door and placed her meal down on the bedside table, turning on the lamp. Once she got under the covers, turned the television on, and picked up her food again, she started to wonder for the first time why she had done such a thing that morning. She thought she knew herself pretty well, and her actions hadn't really been something she would be trademarked for. None of it was done in typical Haley fashion. But what the hell did he expect her to do when she walked into the bathroom to find him going to town on himself? She was a woman, for crying out loud. And although she wasn't sure if she was ready to admit it to herself yet, seeing him like that still turned her on. In fact, seeing him at all got her going. But her feelings were usually overpowered by those of rage or annoyance, so they went unnoticed. She decided that she had done what she thought was best at the time, and she didn't need to give him an explanation. She had no idea what had come over her, but it's not as if she'd been feeling like herself lately.

In the two weeks that Nathan had been living there, Haley had definitely noticed a change in herself. She never rushed home to see Jamie anymore, and it didn't really bother her when she missed out on seeing him for an entire day. That had always bothered her. She found herself actually wanting to spend all of her time alone. When Brooke called to ask if she wanted to go shopping or go have lunch, she always refused. Again, she didn't precisely know the reasons for the way she was feeling, but the incident with Dane just really had her thinking in a completely different way. She didn't want to be the weak one who let some jackass like him change her, and she promised herself that she would do better. But after all, she'd been making the same promise every night for two weeks, and still every day when she returned home from work she locked herself in her room for no particular reason at all. She slept whenever she got the chance. She almost felt numb.

And after she finished eating and returned the dirty dishes to the kitchen, Haley lay in bed and curled herself into a ball. Her entire body trembled, just like every other night since the incident, and she was powerless to stop it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Damn, I am so sorry, you guys. The last few weeks of school are always a bitch, but luckily after next week I'll have a lot more free time. I've got a novel to read and a huge paper to write this weekend, so I can't make any promises for an update then. But I will do my best and write every second I can. Thanks for having patience and sticking with me, and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Drop a review, I love hearing your opinions and reactions. Again, sorry for the hold-up!**

* * *

Three days. It had been three days since she had made him feel the things he hadn't felt in years, and he was slowly going insane. She wouldn't offer up any information, and when he questioned her about it she simply shrugged it off or hastily left the room like the first time he had confronted her. He was positively perplexed; there was no other way to say it. She was acting like it was nothing, but he very well knew that it was something. She grew to be even more withdrawn, and he was simply waiting for her to come around. He didn't want to push her too much, but he was beginning to worry.

"But Dad, we didn't do it last week. Or the week before that. Or the week before that," Jamie whined from the backseat of the car.

Nathan sighed as he gripped the wheel, keeping his eyes planted firmly on the road ahead of him. "I know we didn't, Jamie. That's because your mom hasn't been feeling all that well, and she needs some time to rest. You understand, don't you?"

Jamie's sigh mimicked his father's. "Yes. But that doesn't mean that _we_ have to miss out on the fun. I miss Aunt Brooke and Uncle Lucas. We haven't seen them in forever."

"I miss them, too, buddy. Maybe we can have game night over at their house, huh?"

"It's not the same," the boy mumbled quietly.

After a few minutes of silence, Nathan spoke again. "Listen, I'll talk to your mom and see what she thinks, okay? If she's feeling up to it, we can have game night at our house."

Again, moments passed during which no words were exchanged. Then Jamie spoke up. "Why is Momma always so sad?"

Nathan closed his eyes briefly before refocusing them on the road. "She's just going through a tough time right now, bud." How was he supposed to explain the situation to his six-year-old son? They had skillfully evaded letting him in on the truth about Dane and that bloody debacle, but how was he to enlighten the boy on the reasons for his mother's sullen attitude when he himself had no idea what was going on with her? She gave him absolutely no hint of what was boiling inside of her. Was it rage? Sadness? He had a feeling it was a mixture of the two.

"But she never wants to play with me anymore," Jamie pressed. "She's always sleeping or working."

"I play with you though," Nathan responded, trying to change the subject a bit. "We have fun, don't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Jamie replied quietly. "I miss her though."

Nathan took a deep breath as he pulled into a parking spot. "Me, too." He whispered the words to himself before letting Jamie out and walking up to the third floor apartment with the boy.

He was shocked to see his roommate's purse and keys sitting on the coffee table. How had she beaten them home? She usually stayed at work until six or seven, at least. "Hey, why don't you fire up the Playstation, Jame? I'm going to go ask your mom about tonight, okay?"

"Sure thing," the boy replied, running to put his shoes and his backpack in his bedroom.

Nathan made his way to the end of the hall and knocked softly on her bedroom door. He had definitely learned his lesson and absolutely never entered the room without her acknowledging that it was appropriate for him to do so. As much as he desired a replay of Tuesday morning's events, he knew that he wouldn't get that lucky again. "Hales?" he called and knocked again.

"Yeah?" she called from underneath the covers.

"Can I come in?" he answered, placing a hand on the doorknob.

"Mhmm," he heard her reply, although it was a bit muffled.

He turned the knob and stepped into her room, closing the door behind him. He noticed the lump under the duvet and smiled softly to himself. She reminded him of a child sometimes but in the best ways possible. For example, her innocence was something he rarely noticed in anyone their age. And even though she had not been a virgin or a teenager for years, she still retained that pure quality which he adored. Making his way over to her bed, he hesitantly took a seat on the edge. "Hales," he said softly.

She was silent, but a few minutes later she pulled the covers down so that the top half of her body was visible. "What, Nathan?"

He could see how tired she was, and he felt bad for interrupting her light slumber. However, he knew he had perfectly good reasons for doing so. "How'd you beat us home?" he asked.

Haley sighed. She really wasn't in the mood to speak to him, not that she ever was or ever would be. At least he hadn't caught her crying; she never would've heard the end of it then. She pushed herself up so her back was resting against the headboard and answered his question. "I left work early; I didn't feel well."

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" he asked quickly, instantly worried about her.

"No, Nathan, I'm not sick. I got stabbed," she snapped with a glare.

Once again, he found himself trying to stay calm with her and not get caught up in her angry moment because he had no idea how she was feeling. He just knew that it must be hard for her to deal with. "Okay, well is there anything I can do?" he asked slowly.

His eyes were full of nothing but concern for her, and she instantly felt bad for snapping at him. In her defense, though, she hardly controlled what came out of her mouth these days, and as Tuesday had proved her actions were a bit sketchy as well. "No, I'm fine," she answered.

That's what she always said, and quite frankly he was getting tired of it. She obviously wasn't fine, and the more she tried to convince him that she was the less he believed her. "Okay," he replied gently, not wanting to upset her. "Jamie wanted me to ask you about tonight. He's a little annoyed that you guys haven't had game night in three weeks, so he wanted to know if it was okay for tonight."

She let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I guess so." Really, the last thing she wanted to do was participate in another damn game night. She was absolutely not in the mood. But she knew that messing with Jamie's regular routine was getting on his nerves, and she felt badly about it. Plus, she hadn't seen Lucas or Brooke in weeks. In fact, she hadn't even spoken to the former in three weeks, ever since he freaked out on her at the hospital. She didn't blame him, but she did miss him.

"Really?" Nathan asked, his tone full of disbelief. He was expecting her to say she wasn't up to it or that all she wanted to do was rest. "Are you sure? Because it's still soon; I get that. He and I can just go hang out at Lucas and Brooke's, if you want."

Haley reached up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "No, it's fine. I just need to shower and stuff, but I'll be out when I'm done," she assured him.

He nodded slowly, rising from the bed. "Alright, I'll see you in a bit, beautiful." He reached the door and then closed it behind him once he'd entered the hallway. He found Jamie in the living room playing the Playstation, just as he had said he would.

As if on cue, Jamie paused the game and looked up at his dad. "What'd she say?" he asked hopefully.

Nathan smiled and nodded his head affirmatively. "Game night is on."

Jamie pumped his fist in the air. "Hell yes!"

Nathan raised both eyebrows. "What did you just say?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders innocently, not understanding the problem. "Uncle Lucas does it all the time."

"Is that right?" Nathan pondered. "Well, he and I are going to have a little chat about that. Don't do it again."

Jamie nodded his head and pressed play on his game.

Nathan wandered into the kitchen, pulling out his cell phone on the way so that he could call his brother and let him and his girlfriend know that game night was officially on.

Haley stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. Once she was done, she wrapped the towel firmly around her body before walking to the bedroom to get some clothes on. She had stayed in the shower for a good hour, reveling in the feeling the warm water gave her tense body, and she could already hear everyone in the living room having a good time. They were all laughing and yelling simultaneously. She smiled softly to herself before beginning to get dressed.

After putting on her undergarments and a pair of jeans, Haley stood in front of the full-length mirror which was planted against the wall on one side of her bed. She frowned at her appearance once her eyes hit her stomach. It was still flat and fairly toned in all the right places, but once her eyes fixed on the jagged scar adjacent to her belly button her face scrunched up in disgust. Her body would never look the same again; she was sure of it. She would have to walk around like that for the rest of her life, explaining to people why she no longer had the body she considered to be pretty damn good for twenty-four. She was absolutely sickened by the sight of her stomach, so she decided she needed to cover it up as quickly as possible. She placed a large bandage over the scar, as she had been told to continue doing, and then placed a t-shirt over it. She didn't bother blow-drying her hair, deciding to just let it air dry as she opened her bedroom door.

"Suck on that!" Lucas shouted when his player dunked on Nathan's.

Nathan rolled his eyes, amused. "In case you haven't noticed, pretty boy, I'm still up by thirty."

"Not for long," Lucas muttered, pressing buttons furiously as he tried to steal the ball.

His brother smirked as he shot and drained a three-pointer. "Make that thirty-three. By the way, you've got about a minute to make your comeback. Better hurry, big bro."

Haley watched from the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. She smiled, glad that everyone seemed to be having such a good time. She instantly knew that allowing Jamie to have this game night had been the right decision. He and Brooke were sitting on the floor in the far side of the room playing what she assumed was Go Fish. Her eyes moved to Lucas and Nathan. No one had even noticed her presence.

Lucas scored another two-pointer quickly and then stole the ball from Nathan's player. He dunked it again as his fingers moved effortlessly over the controller.

Nathan continued to let him score until the time ran out. When it did, he was still up by a significant amount. He placed the controller down on the coffee table and smiled victoriously. "Too late. You should've started playing like that sooner there, Lukey," he joked.

Lucas rolled his eyes and thrust his controller onto the couch beside him. "Whatever." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll get you next time."

Nathan smiled and stood up. "Looking forward to it." It was then that he glanced to the side and noticed Haley's presence. He wondered how long she'd been standing there, as she stood leaned against the doorframe, looking pretty comfortable. He walked to her and presented a small smile. "Hey."

Haley managed a small smile. "Hey. Looks like you guys are having fun," she commented.

"And you are just in time to join in on it," Lucas cut in, standing next to the two of them. When he saw the look she gave him, he turned to his brother. "Can we have a second, Nate?"

Nathan held both his hands up and went to check on the intense game of Go Fish being played on the other side of the room.

"Look, Haley-" Lucas started.

She shook her head and held up a hand. "You have nothing to explain, Lucas," she interrupted calmly. "You had every right to get upset, and I deserved a lot worse than you gave me. So thank you for holding back."

He shook his head as well, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Still, that's no excuse for us not speaking for three weeks, Hales. Has that ever even happened before?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not that I can remember, no."

He gave her a small smile. "Let's not let it happen again." Without warning, he enveloped her in a big hug. "I missed you, buddy."

Haley rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. "I missed you, too. And I'm really sorry…for everything," she whispered, blinking back tears. Her emotions had been absolutely out of control lately.

After a moment, Lucas pulled away and placed a friendly kiss on her forehead. "No worries. It's all in the past now."

"Thanks," she mumbled with a small smile.

"Momma, I beat Aunt Brooke!" Jamie yelled, rushing over to his mom.

She smiled and gave her son a high-five. "Wow, good job, Jimmy Jam."

"I let him win," Brooke called from the other side of the room.

"Yeah, right," Jamie retorted with a roll of the eyes.

"What's up next, guys?" Lucas asked, glancing around the room.

"Hmm." Jamie tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Okay, I got it," he stated a moment later.

"Let's hear it, boy," Nathan replied.

"Twister!" Without even waiting for an affirmative or negative response, Jamie ran off through the hallway to get the game from his bedroom closet.

"Well, this should be interesting," Brooke commented with a smirk.

Thirty minutes later, the competition was on. Jamie and Brooke were the only ones left on the mat. Haley had volunteered to be all-time spinner, since she had been feeling a lot of pain lately and was absolutely positive that she'd burst into tears if she tried to contort her body the way her son and friend were currently. She spun the board again and then looked up to announce the next placement. "Right foot, red."

Jamie's head turned from left to right, trying to figure out how best to shape the move. His small body and short limbs made it difficult for him to stretch across the mat, but he finally got his right foot onto a red dot and smiled triumphantly, making sure to keep his left foot and both hands balanced as well.

Haley watched, waiting for Brooke to make her move. The woman was already twisted like a damn pretzel; Haley had no idea how she was going to be able to get into the correct position. For a moment she was taken away from the game. She closed her eyes tight and leaned her elbow on the arm of the couch, leaning her head into her hand. For the first time, she felt the perspiration which had gathered on her forehead and was a bit taken aback.

Nathan and Lucas were watching the game unfold from the doorway, each with a beer in hand. Lucas chuckled as he watched his girlfriend attempt to stay in the game, but Nathan's eyes were trained on Haley. She did not look good at all, and he could see her forehead glistening with sweat, as well as her neck. He brought his beer up to his lips and took a swig, his eyes never leaving her body.

Brooke sat there for a good three minutes, contemplating how she was going to move her foot to a red dot. Finally, she made up her mind and made a move, earning herself a broad smile when she stayed upright.

"Hales," Lucas called when they'd been waiting for the next move for about a minute. When his eyes reached her, he instantly became just as worried as Nathan.

Haley's eyes snapped open. She sat back up straight and spun the board again, waiting patiently for the black hand to land. She didn't look up from the board, even as she spoke, just in case anyone had noticed the perspiration on her face. She was sure she didn't look very attractive at the moment, but that thought only entered her mind for a millisecond because the pain, once again, took her away from all other thoughts.

"Haley," Brooke sing-songed. She had her back to the girl and could not see how bad she looked. Neither could Jamie, not that he would notice the difference anyways. He was completely focused on the game and beating his Aunt Brooke.

Once again Haley was brought back. "Sorry," she muttered before looking down at the board. "Right hand, blue."

Jamie moved first, as had been the custom for the duration of the game. This move was surprisingly easy, so he moved his hand to a blue dot within seconds and was still stabilized.

Haley managed to keep her eyes open for this move and watched them, but her mind was still focused on the pain. In a sudden rush of nausea, she felt the overwhelming need to run to the bathroom. She tried to suppress it.

Brooke's position made it significantly harder for her to move her hand to a blue dot. However, she managed to do so but accidently bumped into Jamie's knee in the process. The boy fell flat on his back, and she immediately hopped up in victory, throwing both hands into the air. "And that's how it's done, buddy!"

Jamie stuck his tongue out at her from his place on the ground. He felt no need to get up.

At this time, Haley recognized that her attempts to suppress the substance rising in her throat were completely futile. She threw the board down onto the couch before running out of the room and down the hall. When she made it to the bathroom, the very same bathroom in which she had caught Nathan in a few days earlier, she threw the door open, not even bothering with the light, and began to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She didn't know how it happened, but it just kept coming out. She'd hardly eaten all day, yet there she was, puking like she'd just binged on Thanksgiving.

Neither Lucas nor Nathan had taken their eyes off of her, and when she rushed off of the couch both sets of eyes grew wide. Stopping Lucas with a hand to the chest, Nathan set his beer down quickly and started down the hallway. Once he was inside the famous bathroom, he shut the door quietly and turned the light on, frowning at the sight before him.

It wouldn't stop. It was complete and total torture. Vomiting always hurt, and she was aware of that. But this was like a whole new level of pain for Haley. It racked her ribs ferociously, and she had tears running down her face, simply begging her body to give up and return to normal.

Nathan didn't know what to do. He wanted to comfort her, but he felt like nothing could do that at this point. She looked absolutely pitiful, and he felt bad for her as he watched. After a moment, he moved behind her, crouching down. He gathered her hair in one hand while his other ran up and down her bath soothingly.

After what felt like an overwhelming amount of lurching for a lifetime, let alone a five minute span of time, Haley was finally able to catch her breath and move away from the toilet. She stood up immediately, not being able to withstand the taste in her mouth. She grabbed the toothbrush out of its holder, put a huge glob of toothpaste on it, wet the brush, and then began brushing her teeth furiously.

Nathan flushed the toilet for her and then watched her carefully, wondering what the hell had just happened. Why was she just puking her guts out into the toilet? It seemed like the most random thing to him.

Haley made sure she coated every square centimeter of her mouth with the minty paste before she finally rinsed the brush and put it back in the holder. "Oh, my God," she breathed, holding her stomach. So that part was over, but the pain in the scar had only intensified.

"Haley, are you okay?" Nathan asked quickly. He rushed to her side. He knew it was a stupid question, but what the hell else was he supposed to say? "What's wrong?"

She couldn't help the few tears that had escaped her eyes as she looked at him. After a moment, she turned her head and gripped the countertop with her free hand, her knuckles going white. "It hurts, Nathan," she whimpered.

He was freaking out. Should he take her to the hospital? She sure as hell looked like she needed some medical attention. Then again, maybe it wasn't as serious as he thought. He did tend to overreact when it came to his ex-wife's well-being. She just meant so much to him. "Okay, okay, come on. Let's get you into bed, and then we'll figure it out." He tried to lead her out after opening the door.

Haley shook her head, not moving. "I can't, Nathan."

It took him a moment to realize what she meant. When it hit him, he immediately picked her up off the floor, supporting both ends of her body equally, and carried her to her bed, where he placed her under the covers. He placed the back of his hand over her forehead, as he could see that she was still sweating. "Shit, Haley, you're burning up." He looked around the room frantically before he remembered something. "Where are the pills the doctor gave you?"

She didn't say anything and was struggling to keep her eyes open. When they were closed, the pain didn't seem so severe, and she could think of other things. Instead of speaking, she raised the hand which wasn't covering her stomach and pointed to her bathroom.

Nathan rushed into the room she'd pointed to and searched everywhere. He looked on the shelves in the closet, in the cabinets on the wall and under the sink, in the drawers, and still he found no pills. As he was leaving, something caught his eye in the trashcan on the floor. "Damn it," he mumbled. He retrieved the nearly full pill bottle from the wastebasket and grabbed a cup from the countertop, filling it with water. He ran quickly back into her bedroom and pushed the items toward her. "Haley, you have to take these, okay? It won't hurt anymore."

Awakened by his voice, she nodded weakly and gulped both the pills and the water. Then she closed her eyes again, knowing that sleep would take the rest of the pain away, if only it would envelop her.

After watching her for another few minutes, Nathan left the room but left her door cracked. He knew that as soon as he got Jamie in bed and Lucas and Brooke had gone home, he'd go back in to check on her. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared.

"What the hell was that, bro?" Lucas asked when he saw his brother emerge from the hallway. He and Brooke both looked thoroughly concerned.

"Jamie, go get your pajamas on. It's bedtime," Nathan announced.

"Okay, what just happened?" Brooke pressed once Jamie had disappeared down the hall.

Nathan shook his head. "I have no fucking idea. She kept throwing up, and she was all sweaty. She felt really hot, and she said it hurt. So I asked where her pills were, she pointed to the bathroom, and I found them in the trash. I swear, the bottle is almost full, Luke."

Brooke furrowed her brow. "The pain pills from the doctor?"

Nathan nodded. "Yes, the ones she's supposed to be taking every day."

"Damn," Lucas muttered, shaking his head. "Is she okay?"

"She's sleeping now, I think," Nathan answered. "Trying to, at least. You guys should head out. I've got to get Jamie to bed and then go check on her. I'll call you in the morning to let you know if anything else happens."

"Okay," Brooke said hesitantly. "Call if you need us, okay?"

He nodded his head. "See you guys later."

After saying his goodbyes to Brooke and Lucas, he tucked Jamie in once he was all ready for bed. He read him a story, and when asked about it told him that his mom was fine and just needed some rest. Afterwards he made his way back into her bedroom, shutting the door all the way. He sat on the floor close to her bed and leaned against the wall. Her face was at a perfect angle, and he could tell she was asleep now. However, he couldn't very well say he'd be getting any. Why hadn't she been taking her pain pills? It was a clear order from the doctor. Did she enjoy the pain? Clearly not. He shook his head and ran his hands over his face once before fixing his eyes on the girl of his dreams once again.

_Haley looked at her son, wondering why she was the one having to tell him this. It wasn't her fault; Nathan should be the one breaking it to him. She had woken up and remembered that the night before Nathan had left. She vividly recalled every single word that was exchanged, and it made her shudder. She wished she could take it all back, but at the same time she hated him for leaving. She hadn't expected him to call her bluff like that. She loved him. She wanted him. Jamie did, too. _

_"Where's Dad?" the four-year-old asked, his eyes full of confusion._

_"He's um…he's…at practice, baby," she stuttered. Okay, so she was a total chicken. She knew it was more than that, but she didn't want to upset her baby boy over nothing. Maybe he would come back. Maybe they would both apologize to one another and forget that last night's fight ever happened. Maybe this was all just an incredibly horrible nightmare that she was eagerly waiting to wake up from. _

_She placed the smiley-face pancakes in front of him and then turned when she heard her phone ringing. When she saw that it was Nathan, she breathed a sigh of relief. Here was their chance. "I'll be right back, Jimmy Jam." She flipped her cell phone open as she walked out of the kitchen. "Hey." _

_"Hi," Nathan answered curtly. "So I talked to my lawyer, and he said we shouldn't have any problems with this. We'll both be free soon." _

_She furrowed her brow and immediately stopped walking. "What the hell are you talking about, Nathan? We shouldn't have any problems with what?" _

_"The divorce." _

_Haley's mouth fell open. Never, even after Nathan had left the apartment last night, had the word "divorce" entered her mind. Not for a second. "Wh-"_

_"Hey, I've got to go. My lawyer will be calling you, so don't be shocked when you get it."_

_"Nathan, wait." Haley desperately wanted to know what the hell had just happened and why he had just decided their future for them, but when she heard the monotonous dial tone she knew that it was over. He wasn't even going to ask her if this was what she wanted. Of course it wasn't. The phone fell out of her hands, and she started to shake. "Oh, my God," she whispered._


	10. Chapter 10

**So I'm finally done with school for the semester, apart from one exam tomorrow. So my updates will definitely be more frequent, seeing as I will have an inordinate amount of free time. So there's something to look forward to. I know, I suck...but maybe this chapter will make up for it. Please let me know your thoughts, what you do and don't like. You're all so very helpful! Sorry for the insane wait, but here we go.**

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Eight o'clock. Haley read the digital numbers on the clock over and over again. Had she really just slept for twelve hours? No way. She couldn't remember a time when she had slept for so long. She felt something cool on her forehead and reached up, her hands coming in contact with a wet cloth. She removed it and then noticed Nathan's tall figure towering over her bed. Before she knew it he had taken the rag and disappeared into the hallway. Her eyebrows knit together as she looked at the time again. After a few minutes of critical thinking, she was able to piece together the events of the night before. Some parts were still a little hazy while others were just completely black, due to the pain she'd been feeling at the time. She assumed her body had blocked the pain out.

Nathan returned to the room with a handful of pills and a glass of water. She sat up against the headboard and took them from him silently, her eyes never leaving his face. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"The blue ones should help to bring your fever down, and the white ones are your pain pills, not that you would recognize them or anything." He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her swallow the pills.

Haley closed her eyes briefly. Of course he would be upset about that. She swallowed the last pill and then set the glass down on her bedside table. "Nathan, I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You're sorry," he repeated with a wry smile. "That's great and all, Hales, but it really isn't me you should be apologizing to. It's you. I mean, what the hell? Are you trying to prove how tough you are or something? Because you don't need to put yourself through physical pain to do that. That's actually pretty weak, if you ask me."

She shook her head and looked down at her hands. "I just hate it all, okay? And taking pills every single day only reminds me of how stupid and irresponsible I was. I'm tired of having it thrown in my face that I'm failing."

"News flash, Haley, this is why you're failing." His voice had risen in volume. "Yes, you made some bad decisions. Yes, you should have been more careful. But that definitely doesn't mean that it's your fault that the psycho stabbed you. And I'm pretty sure not taking your prescribed medicine would remind you of that day more since you're in constant agony."

He didn't understand. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. He would never understand. "Like you have any idea what I'm going through, Nathan. And don't think that just because you forced yourself into my apartment and are attempting to act all chivalrous all of a sudden that I'm going to fall for it and just share my life with you. That's not the way it works."

"This isn't even about me," he replied. "This is about you and the fact that you're letting what he did to you control you. I understand that it wasn't that long ago, but you're not even trying."

She scoffed. "Oh, like you tried so hard in the two years we were apart? You called your son, what, maybe three times? And to say what? That you were never coming home. Not to mention the fact that you just completely gave up on our marriage."

"_I _gave up on our marriage?" he asked incredulously. "You're the one who told me to leave."

Haley shook her head. "No, Nathan. I gave you a choice."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, one of which required me giving up the dream I've had since I was two years old."

"God forbid we take away your precious basketball," she retorted while glaring at him.

"Is this really what you're going to turn every conversation into?" he asked. "Because ever since I got here, all you've done is complain about me sleeping with other women and blame me for our divorce. Need I remind you that you signed the papers, too?"

She looked away, her voice growing quieter. "Of course I signed the papers. You gave up on us. What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"We both gave up," he rationalized.

Meeting his eyes, she shook her head. "I only gave up when you let me know that we were over. You went ahead with the divorce before we even talked about it. The thought never even crossed my mind before then. I didn't want that, Nathan."

"How was I supposed to know that?" he asked weakly.

"You could've asked."

He threw his hands up and sighed, looking defeated. Then he made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

The hostility in the apartment continued to grow over the weekend, not a word being spoken between Haley and Nathan. The former, however, made a vow to herself that she would do better. If not for anything else, she needed to be better for Jamie. And she was tired of feeling weak.

On Tuesday, Haley met up with Brooke during her lunch break. The two hadn't been hanging out as much as they had before the incident, so Brooke had suggested they make some changes because she was missing the girl who had quickly become her best friend years ago. Plus, she was worried out of her mind.

"So, Tutor Girl, how's your day going?" Brooke asked when they had both taken their seats at the table.

"Good," Haley answered simply and with a nod. "Yours?"

Brooke nodded as well. "Pretty good. How goes it with Nathan?"

Haley let out a long sigh. "It's…frustrating." She shrugged. "I mean, I know he's only trying to help and be there for me, but I just don't know if I can let him do that. I feel like he's expecting something out of me that I can't give to him right now. I just can't forgive him yet."

"I understand, Haley, but hasn't he forgiven you for a lot lately?" Brooke countered.

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, I'm not saying that he isn't to blame for a lot," Brooke replied. "I know that he hurt you, and I know it isn't easy to let that go. But you've made a lot of mistakes these last couple of weeks, and Nathan hasn't held any of that against you."

Haley shook her head. "You're seriously taking his side on this?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I just want to be able to understand what's going on with you. You repeatedly let Dane walk all over you, you didn't even tell anybody when he…stabbed you, and you opted not to take the pain pills that you were specifically told to take."

"I don't need a play-by-play, Brooke. I know what I've done, and I'm not proud of it."

Brooke frowned. "I'm only worried about you. And so are Nathan and Lucas. You need to talk to someone, Hales."

"I can take care of myself," Haley replied.

"When did I say you couldn't?" Brooke retorted. "Stop being so damn stubborn, and just talk to me."

Haley stood up and pushed her purse onto her shoulder. "You know what? I thought you invited me here to catch up. If I wanted an interrogation, I could have just gone home. I don't need this." She turned around.

"Haley!" Brooke called. She contemplated getting up to follow her friend, but she was walking pretty fast so she figured her efforts would be futile. "Damn it," she muttered.

Haley finished out her day at work and then stayed afterward to make up the test she planned to give the following day. When she was finally finished and had all the copies made, she went home. She changed into a pair of jeans and a white tank top before settling herself in the living room with the television on.

A few minutes later she heard the front door and looked up, her mouth watering at the sight before her.

Nathan had just finished a long run. It was the only way he could let out all his frustrations, which he had been having more and more of. He wore only a pair of basketball shorts and his running shoes. His breathing was still heavy from the run, and his muscles seemed to become more and more defined with each breath he took. His chest and abs were glistening with sweat.

When he saw her, he gave a slight nod. The two still hadn't spoken since their conversation Saturday morning and had simply been coexisting.

Haley subconsciously turned the television off, and her eyes stayed glued to his body. "Hey, um…hey," she mumbled.

Surprised that she was speaking to him, Nathan didn't even notice the way she was ogling him. He strode over to the coffee table, placing his left foot up on the surface. He began to untie his shoe. "Hey," he finally replied. "How was your day?"

"It was um…" Haley's eyes drifted from his abs to the muscles in his arms as he untied his shoe. Once again, her body overrode her mind, just as it had the week before. She moved to her feet and took a step closer to him. "It was alright."

Nathan nodded. "That's good, Hales." He threw his untied shoe to the floor and then propped his right foot up as he had done with the other, beginning to untie. "I'm glad."

Haley continued to watch him, and her feet continued to move forward until they were almost touching.

It wasn't until he had untied and discarded his second shoe that Nathan noticed how close she was. With both his feet planted to the ground, he turned to face her, sending her a confused look.

She glanced up at his face as her hand came in contact with his skin. She ran her fingers lightly over his defined chest and then down to his abs.

He didn't dare stop her. His entire body was already buzzing from her touch, but he had to ask. "Hales, what are you doing?"

Suddenly snapped out of her reverie, Haley looked up to meet his eyes. She let her hand drop back to her side as she gazed at him. "I…I don't…I don't know," she stuttered. She didn't know what had come over her.

Before he could answer, her lips were on his in a fiery kiss that he simply couldn't ignore. His hands flew to her waist, and his mouth moved with hers so perfectly that he thought he was dreaming. His mind was throwing out millions of questions as to why and how this was happening, but he was certainly not going to let them be voiced. She could, at any moment, stop herself, and then it would be over. He wanted to savor the feeling of her lips and her body pressed against his own. It had been far too long for him.

Haley pushed her tongue past his lips forcefully as she wound her arms around his neck. She couldn't get close enough to him. She pushed him until his back hit the wall and then pushed her hips against his as her hands fell to roam his body. She ran them down his chest and abs before reaching his shorts. Her hands began to play with the elastic frantically.

What the hell was happening? He still had absolutely no idea, and he still didn't care. In a quick, smooth move he turned them around so that she was now pressed against the wall. He pushed his arousal into her as his lips moved to her neck. Her head tilted to give him better access, and he took full advantage.

After a few minutes, Haley pushed him away slightly but only to pull her tank top over her head. Once it was on the floor, her eyes stayed locked with his as she took his hand. "Come on," she whispered.

Nathan could not remove his eyes from her ass as she pulled him down the hallway and to her bedroom. He felt himself growing harder and harder by the second. She closed the door with her foot and then pushed him down onto the bed. He propped himself up on his elbows and watched her carefully as she slowly unbuttoned her jeans. Then the zipper was undone, and she pushed them down her legs, never breaking eye contact.

After tossing the jeans aside, Haley climbed onto the bed. She placed her knees on either side of his hips so she was straddling him and then leaned down to capture his lips again. It was slower than before but still incredibly passionate. Their tongues melted together slowly and sweetly.

When he heard her let out a moan, he almost lost it then and there. He hadn't heard her make that sound in so long, and he had forgotten how sexy it was. He frowned when she tore her lips away but was placated when he felt her warm lips on his neck. She left wet kisses down to his collarbone as he let his hands roam up and down her back. Eventually, they landed on the clasp of her bra. Once again, he was too caught up in the moment to stop himself as he expertly undid the hooks and tossed the material aside.

Haley continued to leave hot kisses down his chest until she finally stopped to move her lips back to his again. She gave him a long, hard kiss and then moved her mouth to his ear. "You taste so good," she whispered before taking his earlobe in her mouth.

He couldn't help the guttural moan that escaped him at her words. He then, in a swift movement, rolled them over so that he was on top of her. He smiled as he took in her nearly naked form beneath him and then connected their lips once again. "I love you so much," he mumbled as he pulled away. Quickly, he began to kiss his way down her neck and to her chest.

She couldn't give him a response to those words, so she tried her best to ignore them. Fortunately, he made it easier with his sensual ministrations as another moan escaped her lips. She couldn't take it anymore. Her hands, which had been on his back holding him to her, moved down to his shorts and pushed them down fervently. His boxers moved with them, and now he was completely naked. She bit her lip as she took in all of him. No one else had ever made her feel the things she felt with him, and she was glad for that. However, it had been over two years since she'd done this, and now her senses were shooting into overdrive. She needed him.

Nathan left scattered kisses across her stomach until his eyes landed on the jagged scar near her belly button. He lifted his head to meet her eyes, and he could see the pure desire written in them. She seemed to have forgotten all the about the scar, and he wasn't about to verbally bring it to her attention. He needed this just as much as she did. Hooking his fingers into the material of her panties, he slid them down her legs slowly, keeping his eyes on hers. Once he had slipped them off her feet, he tossed them onto the floor and covered her body with his own.

When he entered her, she gasped. Her eyes shut tight, and her hands clenched onto the bed sheets. It had been so long since she had felt something so utterly good that she almost didn't know what to do. However, when he began to move, her hands wound around his neck again, and she knew she never wanted him to stop. It felt too damn good for it to ever end.

How many times had he had sex in their two years apart? He couldn't even count, but none of it had been like this. None of it had been this good. No one made him feel the things that Haley did, and he didn't want them to. This was something only the two of them were supposed to share, and instantly he knew why she kept bringing the issue of him and other girls up. The thought of another man moving in her the way he was made him want to vomit and punch someone at the same time. She was his, and no one else deserved to have her like this. He watched her face and couldn't help but think that there was nothing sexier. Her head was thrown back, her eyes were still closed, and her lips were parted slightly. But it wasn't enough for him; he wanted to really see her. "Look at me," he said softly as he stilled every movement of his body.

What in God's name was he doing? Why had he stopped? Haley noticed, but she hadn't heard him, and her eyes remained closed. Even though he wasn't moving, the fact that he was still inside of her made her want to revel in the pleasure all the more.

Nathan moved his lips to her ear and placed a kiss just beneath it. "Hales, open your eyes," he whispered. He moved back and was glad to see that she had complied with his demand. "Keep your eyes open," he said as he began to move again.

She didn't close her eyes again, although the temptation was almost overwhelming. They were locked on his blue orbs. But his pace was torturously slow, and after a few seconds she couldn't take it anymore. Although it felt amazing and she wanted to savor it, she also wanted to feel him claiming her like he had when they were married. "Nathan, please," she whimpered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

He couldn't suppress the small smirk which covered his features for a brief second. He kissed her lips once gently and then met her eyes again. "What, baby?" he whispered.

God, what was he trying to do to her? Haley was sure that he knew exactly what she was talking about, but she was too desperate to argue. "Nathan," she whispered again, her eyes pleading with him.

Nathan leaned down, supporting his weight with his elbows. He placed a kiss on her forehead, her chin, both cheeks, her nose, and finally her lips. "What do you want, Hales?" He sped up his pace only slightly, only to bring it back down again.

Haley licked her lips and moved her hands around to his shoulders. She brought him down closer to her and kissed him fervently. She tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth as she pulled away. "Faster, Nathan," she breathed. "I need you to go faster."

That was all he needed. He hadn't been searching for any unnecessary dirty talk or plea, just to know that she was okay with telling him what she wanted. Without a second thought, his thrusts became faster, and the pace continued to increase until it ceased to be able to.

"Oh, my God," Haley breathed. She was nothing but thankful for the change of pace. Her eyes closed involuntarily until she heard his voice.

"Keep them open," he demanded gently before placing a soft kiss on her lips. As he felt her hips rising to meet his thrusts, he let out a deep groan, burying his head in her shoulder.

They were each impossibly close to the end now, and neither wanted to let go. But Haley came first, Nathan's name falling repeatedly from her lips. Only a second later, Nathan's body followed.

His body collapsed on top of hers, and he didn't move. She enjoyed feeling his full weight on her. She kissed his shoulder, which was the only part of his body that her lips could reach. She allowed her hands to run up and down his sides slowly and sensually as her breathing gradually returned to normal.

Once he had regained his breath, Nathan pushed himself up onto his elbows and moved out of her. He kissed her again and then pulled away, pushing the damp hair away from her forehead. "You're amazing," he whispered.

She closed her eyes briefly and then reopened them. "I'm sorry, Nathan," she whispered. "I'm…can you go?"

He sent her a confused glance. They had just had sex, had they not? Surely he hadn't been dreaming. It sure as hell had felt real.

A few tears escaped her eyes, and she looked away from him. "I need to be alone."

For a few moments, he didn't move, still confused. Finally, he figured he should just do what she'd asked, so he got up and gathered his clothes from the floor.

* * *

Lucas looked at his brother skeptically. "You had sex?"

Nathan nodded.

"And then she asked you to leave?"

He nodded again.

Lucas couldn't help but to crack a small smile. "Do you suck that bad, man?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Lucas, be serious."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Why do you think she told you to leave?"

Nathan shrugged. "She said she wanted to be alone, but I don't get it. I mean, she definitely wanted it; she was the one who initiated it. And she seemed to enjoy it, so I don't know what I did wrong."

"I don't think you did anything wrong, Nate," Lucas replied. "She was probably shocked about what happened, and maybe she hadn't planned for it to go that far. Maybe she just needed to wrap her head around it, kind of like you."

"I don't know," Nathan mumbled, shaking his head. "She was crying. I feel like I made a mistake."

It was silent for a moment. "Do you regret it?" Lucas asked.

Nathan immediately shook his head. "No, I could never regret being with Haley."

"Do you think she regrets it?"

And there was the question he had been asking himself for the past couple of hours. What if she regretted it? He didn't even want to think about how much that possibility hurt him. How could she regret something so beautiful, something so perfect? He took a deep breath and looked at his brother. "I think she might."

* * *

Brooke's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She hadn't been expecting Haley to call her anytime soon after their little argument at lunch, but she was glad that she did. And now she was absolutely shocked. "You had sex?"

Haley nodded.

"How was it?" she asked with a smirk.

Haley rolled her eyes. "That's really not the point, Brooke." She watched her friend raise an eyebrow and sighed. "Fine. It was amazing. It was…God, I don't even know. It was good."

"Okay, so then what happened?"

Haley bit her lip and looked down at her hands. "I asked him to leave," she answered quietly.

Brooke's brow knit together. "Wait, why? I thought you said it was amazing."

"It _was _amazing," Haley stated. "I just didn't know what to do when it was over. I didn't want him to think that it meant something more than it did."

"And what did it mean?"

Haley shrugged slightly. "I…I guess I just felt like I needed someone. And he was there, you know? I just wanted to be with him. But I don't want to get back together with him; I can't."

Brooke sighed. "So do you regret it now? Having sex with him?"

She shook her head. "I could never regret being with Nathan."

"And what about him, Hales?" Brooke asked. "It's not fair of you to tease him like that."

"I know it's not. I just…I don't know. I wasn't thinking about fair, and I wasn't thinking about the circumstances. I just wanted him, Brooke."

"You need to talk to him, Tutor Girl. Let him know what's going on inside your head."

Haley nodded. "I know I do." She heard her phone vibrating against the wood of the coffee table and reached for it. She opened the text message, and her breathing quickened. "It's him." She looked up at Brooke and then read the message.

_On my way. We need to talk. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for all the support, you guys! Merry Christmas!**

* * *

"Where's the boy?" Nathan asked as he stepped through the door. Haley was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine, and he couldn't help but wonder where Jamie was.

Haley looked up at him and answered, "Brooke dropped him off about an hour ago. He's asleep now though."

Nathan closed the front door and nodded in understanding. He took a seat on the couch but kept a bit of space between himself and Haley.

An awkward silence ensued, but after a few moments Haley broke it. "Wine?" she offered.

"Yes, please," he answered quickly.

Haley took the empty glass on the coffee table and poured from the almost empty bottle next to it. She handed it to him wordlessly and then took a large gulp of her own beverage.

Nathan sipped the wine slowly, knowing he had to be the one to make the first move. After a moment, he took a deep breath and set his glass on the coffee table. "Tuesdays are becoming our thing, aren't they?" he joked, unable to stop himself. He wanted to break the tension, but he wasn't quite ready to dive right into the issue.

"Care to elaborate?" Haley replied after another sip.

"Well, I mean…last week we…you…there was the whole blowjob thing. And then today, we…I think you remember." He smiled nervously.

Haley raised an eyebrow and couldn't help the small smile that graced her features. "I definitely remember," she mumbled, placing her glass down as well. "Speaking of today, that…really shouldn't have happened, Nathan."

Nathan's heart dropped in his chest. "What?"

"I got caught up in the moment," she tried to clarify. "It was wrong."

"You regret it," he muttered with a shake of his head. "I knew you would feel this way. I mean-"

He was stopped when Haley placed a hand on his knee. "Nathan, I don't regret it, okay? I don't. But that doesn't make it right. We're not together; we shouldn't have slept together." She sighed and pulled her hand away from his knee to run it through her hair. "Everything is so complicated right now, and we just keep making it worse." She bit her lip. "You're holding onto something that's gone. And it's not coming back. Our time is over, and it has been for a long time now."

Nathan furrowed his brow. "Then what was that, Haley? Don't tell me you didn't feel anything. It meant something."

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean for it to happen. I've just been so confused lately, and you were something comfortable. I knew I could count on you."

Nathan rose from his position on the couch so he was now towering over her. "So you used me," he stated loudly.

Haley stood up as well and shook her head. "It's really not like that, Nathan."

"Really? It sure as hell sounds like it." He shook his head and laughed bitterly. "Do you think I have no feelings? Did you just say to yourself, 'Hey, here's this guy I used to be married to. He looks pretty good, and I'm feeling pretty shitty right now. Maybe if I fuck him I'll feel better about myself.'"

"Seriously, that is not what happened," Haley answered, tears now forming in her eyes. "I just…I wanted to feel something again, and I knew I could do that with you. I knew you would allow me to escape for a little while. I needed it."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "You're not really making a great case for yourself there, Haley."

"I'm just trying to be honest," she replied.

"Honest? If you wanted to be honest, you should've just talked to me about what's going on with you. Because I still have absolutely no fucking clue. You don't talk to anybody, you lock yourself in your room when you're not working, and you cry and think that I can't hear you through these walls."

"Then why didn't you stop me?" Haley asked quietly.

Nathan ran a frustrated hand through his hair and began to pace the living room on the other side of the coffee table.

Haley sighed. "You could've stopped it at any time, Nathan. It's not like I was forcing you into it. If you were so concerned about what was going on with my emotions, you should have asked."

He stopped pacing and turned to face her with his hands on his hips. "I have asked you every Goddamn day what is going on with you, and your reply is a silent 'fuck off.' So don't talk to me about not trying to help you. I've been busting my ass for you ever since I got here, and you've given me nothing in return. I have no idea what's going on in your mind because you refuse to talk to me about it. Our lack of communication is purely your fault, so don't you dare try to turn it around on me." He paused. "And as for me not stopping you, what the hell did you expect? I'm in love with you, Haley, and I haven't been able to touch you in two years. I was just as caught up in the moment as you were. And I guess me, being the stupid man that I am, figured that maybe we'd be able to talk afterwards. But no…we made love, and then you told me to leave. How the hell do you think that made me feel? Like a bed of roses?"

Haley blinked back her tears and folded her arms over her chest protectively. "Nathan, I can't talk to you about what's going on with me; I can't talk to anyone about it."

"Why not?"

Avoiding his eyes completely, she spoke. "Because I don't know what to say. I'm feeling all these things that I've never felt before, and I have no idea why." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "I used to wake up in the morning, and I couldn't wait to get up and start my day. I couldn't wait to see Jamie and play with him. Now when I wake up I just feel lousy. All I want to do is go back to bed and never have to come out again. I feel humiliated, angry, and sad all at the same time. Sometimes I feel like I don't even want to be here anymore. Everyone would probably be better off without me anyways. I can't…I can't talk about it because I have no way to explain it. I hate waking up in the morning, I hate talking to people, and I don't even care that I never see my son anymore. It doesn't even bother me. How horrible of a person does that make me, huh?" The tears were falling at full force now, and she was absolutely powerless to stop them. She shrugged her shoulders weakly and bit her lip. "I just don't care anymore."

Both Nathan's eyebrows raised, and he crossed his arms as well. "If that's really how you feel, then this is a much bigger issue than I thought," he said. "You have to care, Haley. I know you, and you're too good of a person to not care." He shook his head. "You need to see someone. If you're not going to talk to me or Brooke or whoever the hell else about this, then you need some professional help."

"Wow, thanks," she mumbled sarcastically. "That makes me feel so much better about the situation."

He threw his arms into the air. "You don't even know what the situation is, Haley. Obviously you aren't seeing how much this is affecting everyone around you. You have got to get help; you cannot stay like this forever. Jamie needs his mom, and this..." He looked her up and down. "…this isn't her."

Haley wiped at her cheeks furiously in an attempt to stop the endless stream of tears falling from her eyes. "I don't need some stranger to tell me what's wrong with me, Nathan."

"Really? Then tell me what's wrong with you," he challenged. "Give me one single legitimate reason why you don't need to see someone, and I'll back off."

She shook her head. "I'm done talking about this. If you want to talk about what happened earlier today, then that's fine. But I'm not discussing this with you."

Nathan ran his hands over his face before turning to the wall and punching it as hard as he could. He continued to hit it until there was a good-sized hole and his hand was bleeding. When he turned back around, Haley noticed that there were tears in his eyes as well. He was silent for a moment before he spoke. His fists were still clenched as he eyed the carpet. "I love you, but I really don't know how much more of this I can take. God, I just…you're not Haley anymore," he said sadly. "I don't know what you are." He shook his head and walked down the hallway.

When he opened the door to Jamie's bedroom, he saw that the boy's eyes were wide open, as he had suspected. His tirade on the wall had made quite a ruckus. He hated what this was doing to his son, and even more he hated that he played a part in Jamie's sadness. It wasn't fair to him; he was just a kid. Nathan made his way into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Jamie looked up at his dad and clutched his blanket tighter. "Daddy, I'm scared."

Nathan closed his eyes briefly as a few tears fell. It was becoming harder and harder for him to keep his emotions in check, and Haley seemed to bring out the worst in him lately. He was so exhausted. Pulling the covers down, he got into bed with his son, who immediately cuddled up to him. "I'm sorry, buddy," he whispered.

Jamie held onto Nathan as if his life depended on it. "Why is Momma being like this?" he asked quietly.

With a sigh, Nathan kissed the top of the boy's head and tightened his grip around him. He ignored the question. "I will always be here, okay? I'll protect you, no matter what. You mean everything to me, and I will never leave you again." He felt a fresh set of tears hitting his shirt, and immediately he knew that Jamie was crying. It made his heart hurt even more.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jamie asked after a moment.

For once, Nathan couldn't lie. "I don't know."

Haley was leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest. She had followed Nathan in the hopes of talking to him more calmly, but once she heard them start talking she knew it wasn't her place to interrupt. When she heard that tail end of their conversation, one hand flew up to cover her mouth and drowned out the sobs she knew were coming. She crossed the hall to her own bedroom and got under the covers quickly, not even bothering to shut the door behind her. What was she doing to her family? They were falling apart, and she realized that what she was doing to them was much worse than what Nathan had done two years ago. She couldn't quite figure out why, but she was sure they must be feeling a deeper pain than she had, especially Jamie. She was suffering and letting her six-year-old son have a front row seat to the show. What kind of a mother did that? She closed her eyes and prayed for sleep, but she could not stop crying.

* * *

Nathan awoke the following morning and decided to go for a run to clear his head. It was very early, and the sun hadn't even completely risen yet. He had hardly been able to sleep anyways, so there was no point in him lying there for hours on end. When he stepped outside, the air was completely rejuvenating. It smelled so crisp and clean. He immediately started running and didn't plan to stop for a very long time.

About an hour later, Nathan still hadn't stopped. He was running at an incredible pace and simply could not stop. The pain he felt from the various aches in his body was actually refreshing compared to the night he'd had. And it definitely took his mind off of Haley and all the shit they still had to figure out. For the first time since he'd arrived in Tree Hill again, he didn't want to be around her at all. He needed a break.

Nathan closed his eyes and breathed in the air again. It felt so good moving through his nostrils and out of his mouth. It was the pure form of relaxation that he had been yearning for. However, that small escape lasted for about five seconds before he felt something small bump into his chest hard. His eyes instantly snapped open, and his feet stopped moving.

"Holy shit," he mumbled. "I am so sorry." He squatted to get a better look at the girl he had run into. She was pretty. She was also wearing workout clothes, so he assumed she had been running as well. "I…God, I wasn't even looking. I'm really sorry," he apologized again.

The girl brushed herself off and looked up at him, her mind immediately connecting his face to his name. "You're Nathan Scott," she mumbled dumbly.

Nathan furrowed his brow and then nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes I am." He stood up and extended his hand for her, which she took.

She pulled herself up, not letting go of his hand. Instead she began to shake it slowly. "I'm Riley."

He smiled when he realized what she was doing. "It's nice to meet you, Riley. And again, sorry for running you over."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please…that was totally my fault. But hey, if you want to make it up to me I'm free tonight," she said with a grin.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. This girl didn't waste any time, did she? "I, um…" He really didn't know what to say. His thoughts drifted to Haley briefly. She had made it pretty damn clear that they were over, and although he still refused to give up on her he wasn't going to just stand around and wait. He was going to live his life, and that started tonight with Riley. Haley wasn't going to hold him back anymore. He looked up to meet the girl's bright green eyes. "I would love to," he said with a smile.

* * *

Haley woke up and got Jamie ready for school, seeing as Nathan wasn't there to do it for her. She made him breakfast and packed his lunch, just like she had done every day her husband was away. She showered and got dressed while he watched cartoons in the living room and ate his pancakes. When she returned to the room, Jamie was getting his backpack on, and Nathan was standing next to him, car keys in hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a bit of a glare.

Nathan looked up, confused. "Um, I'm taking my son to school, just like I do every day."

"I've got it," she mumbled, pushing past him.

"But Daddy always takes me," Jamie complained.

Her feet stopped moving, and she turned around to face her son. "You don't want me to take you to school?"

Jamie planted his eyes on the ground and shrugged slightly. He didn't want to hurt his mom's feelings, but the daily ride to school had become a bit of a ritual for him and his dad. He didn't want to miss out on that time with him, even though he was missing Haley as well. He felt like he was being forced to choose and so decided to remain silent.

After a moment, Haley sighed and grabbed her purse. "Fine."

"Um, Hales…before you go," Nathan called as she opened the front door.

"What?" she asked coldly, refusing to turn around and face him.

Nathan took a deep breath. He didn't know if it was completely conceited of him to think that this would affect her, but he couldn't just not tell her. "You'll have to get home pretty early tonight to take care of Jamie because I've got something I've got to do."

"And what is that?" she asked, still not turning around.

"I have a date," he replied as nonchalantly as possible.

Haley was incredibly thankful that she had chosen not to turn around to look at Nathan because he would have seen her jaw drop at those words. He had a date? Wasn't he just telling her last night how much he loved her? This had to be some kind of a joke. When she was finally able to close her jaw, she turned around and looked at him incredulously. "With who?"

He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Does it really matter? I just need you to be here, okay?"

She closed her eyes briefly, trying to regain her composure. "I'll be here." She turned away and marched out of the door, shutting it firmly behind her. Once she was inside her car, she leaned against the steering wheel for about ten minutes, just trying to process this new information. How could he have a date the day after they'd made love? Sure, she had rejected him again, but that had never stopped his pursuit before. She honestly didn't know why it was bothering her so much anyways. He was a basketball player; he got a lot of offers from girls, and his single self was never one to pass them up. She should have seen it coming.

He felt bad. He hadn't even intended to tell her about the date, until he remembered that she would need to be home to watch Jamie. It would be good for them to spend some quality time together anyways. He wasn't even sure if what he'd planned with Riley classified as a date. They were going to dinner and a movie, but he felt as though it was going to be more of a hangout instead of a date. Mostly though, he felt bad about Jamie choosing him over her to take him to school. He couldn't figure it out because he knew how much his son had been missing her and how much he needed her. It was a big step for Haley to be doing all those things, and he was glad she was finally taking a stand in her own life. However, he knew that she was still far from okay.

* * *

It had been exactly five weeks since Haley and Nathan had done the deed. They were talking less but somehow fighting more. Jamie was completely caught in between the two and didn't know what to do when they began one of their heated arguments. Both parents knew it wasn't healthy for their child, but sometimes they just couldn't help themselves. There were so many unresolved issues lying around, and putting them all off just seemed like the easiest thing to do.

Nathan's first date with Riley had gone pretty well. She was easy to talk to and gave him a nice break from the stress he had become accustomed to since moving back to Tree Hill. They'd shared a kiss at the end of the date, but it was nothing extremely passionate or risqué. Since then, they'd been hanging out a lot, and Nathan was thankful for the distraction. Focusing on Riley didn't allow for as much moping about Haley. And he was tired of doing just that.

Riley had come over to the apartment a few times, and Haley had met her. Honestly, the girl was nice enough, but Haley couldn't help but to be a bit short with her at times. She despised the fact that she was with Nathan, even though she knew she had absolutely no right to feel that way. It was completely hypocritical on her part, and she was well aware of that fact. However, she simply couldn't help herself.

Haley stepped out of her classroom and glanced down the hallway. After a moment or two and a deep breath, she began to make her way to her vehicle outside. It had been four days since her appointment, and she was sure if she didn't tell someone she was going to burst. The hard part was figuring out who to tell. Nathan obviously wasn't an option, and she was sure Lucas would absolutely freak out on her. He'd probably end up telling Nathan, too, and she definitely didn't want him knowing. Hell, she hadn't even been able to process the information yet herself. Her last option was Brooke. After getting over their little argument, they had grown close again, although their conversations avoided straying down any paths regarding Nathan. So they kept it light, and Brooke didn't push her, which Haley was thankful for. When she'd called Brooke and told her to meet her back at the apartment, she knew it was the right thing to do. Brooke would probably freak out, but Haley definitely wouldn't blame her for doing so. She knew once the shock wore off her friend would be just the person to comfort her and let her know that everything was going to be okay. And she knew she could trust her not to let the news slip to Nathan. She hoped she wouldn't let Lucas bribe it out of her either.

She drove under the speed limit for the duration of the ride, wishing to delay the inevitable if only for a little while. She still hadn't said the words out loud yet, and every once in a while she'd catch herself thinking she was trapped in some sort of horrid nightmare. Then something nowhere near equally as horrifying would break her from her reverie and remind her that it was, in fact, her reality. After parking her car, she took several deep breaths before getting out and heading up the steps. When she opened the apartment door, she saw not only Brooke but also Nathan sitting on the living room couch watching television.

Brooke had known for a few days that something was bothering Haley. Of course, she hadn't been herself for a couple of months, but it was something more. She knew it had to be something big, or Haley wouldn't have let it affect her the way it did. Brooke was very grateful, however, when her friend told her she had something important and confidential to speak to her about. Haley needed to get things off of her chest, even if she didn't know it. Then she'd shown up to the apartment to meet Haley and instead had found Nathan. He was supposed to have been with Jamie, but he had explained that the boy was spending some quality time with his uncle. They'd both drop by soon, apparently.

Haley cleared her throat when neither person seemed to notice her presence.

Brooke immediately jumped to her feet and rushed over to her friend. Haley looked pale, tired, and extremely stressed out. She gave her a quick hug before pulling away. Haley sent her a questioning look while nodding at Nathan, and Brooke just shrugged her shoulders.

"What are you doing here, Nathan?" Haley finally asked, breaking his attention on the television.

Nathan glanced up innocently. Brooke had asked him the same thing when she had arrived. What the hell was wrong with people? You would think they'd be used to him by now. "Um, I'm watching television. Jamie's with Lucas."

"So you just pawned him off on Lucas because you didn't feel like taking care of him?" Haley asked, agitated. She really didn't think it was a big deal; she probably would have done the same thing. But at the moment, she was choosing to blame Nathan for a lot of things that weren't really his fault. She was in a shitty mood, and she was powerless to control her emotions or the words that came flying out of her mouth.

"Yeah, kind of like you do with me," Nathan retorted, keeping his eyes on the television screen.

Brooke stepped in, "Hey, why don't we just do this someplace else? Come on, Hales."

Haley turned to her and shook her head indignantly. "This is not something I want to discuss in public, Brooke." She turned to Nathan. "Can you leave?"

"No can do," he replied.

Brooke sighed as Haley groaned. "Look, Tutor Girl, let's just go out to my car then. We can talk there. It's not that big of a deal."

Haley closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. "Fine, whatever. Let's just go."

A few minutes later, after a few more snide remarks were shared between Nathan and Haley, the two female friends made it to Brooke's car. They both got in the backseat, and Haley immediately began to fidget with her hands. She didn't want to tell Brooke, or anyone for that matter. It would all become real as soon as the words left her lips, and she was desperately clinging onto the hope that she was dreaming. She glued her eyes to her hands, and her breathing became quick and heavy.

Brooke watched her nervously and then frowned. "Haley, calm down. Just breathe. What is going on?"

"Brooke, I…" Haley tried to say the words, but they just wouldn't come out. Her breathing became more ragged, and her hands clutched onto the seat on both sides of her. "I…"

"Haley," Brooke said in a sterner voice. "Calm down. It's okay. Breathe, sweetie." She took one of the girl's hands in her own and squeezed it tightly.

Haley's eyes were full of tears, and she wasn't even trying to keep them from falling. It felt like the weight of the world had just come crashing down on top of her, and she had no idea how to lift it. Eventually she began to focus on Brooke's hand holding her own, and her breathing began to slowly return to normal. "I'm…" She tried it again, but the words caught in her throat.

"Haley, what's going on?" Brooke asked worriedly. "You're scaring me. Just tell me."

Haley closed her eyes and breathed a deep and calming breath. Then she opened her watery eyes and met Brooke's, mentally preparing herself for the effect her next words would have on everything. It was all going to change, and she just wasn't sure she could do it.


	12. Chapter 12

**So most of you guessed Haley's news, but I can promise you that as a writer I despise it when couples are forced to be together, so I have absolutely no intention of playing this that way. I understand where each and every one of you is coming from, and if the things happening in the story turn you against it then that's on you. And I appreciate your loyalty and reviews up until this point. I was actually surprised that everyone hates Nathan so much. I completely understand why you do though. For some reason, when I'm writing and editing it I find myself disliking Haley's attitude more. But they've both definitely made some huge mistakes, and they're both having trouble owning up to them. Nathan, at this point, has not realized just how badly he hurt Haley with the divorce. In fact, he doesn't really wish to know because he knows it will make him feel guilty. As for their relationship and them not being together, I get why you guys would no longer want that. But this is a Nathan and Haley story, and I promise you things will turn around. These first eleven chapters have been pretty serious, and a lot of big things have happened. Obviously the individual characters are acting differently because the situations are completely different from the show. Don't worry about Haley's news forcing the two together though because like I said, I don't go for that. **

**Sorry for the huge note, but I just want to make sure you guys know where my head is at. Thank you for all the reviews. I think I actually enjoyed the reviews for Chapter 11 more than any others because I feel like for the first time you guys really let me know what you were thinking, no holding back. So thank you for that. Nothing better than some detailed reviews! So, finally…I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and here is Chapter 12.**

**

* * *

**Nathan looked up from his place on the couch when he heard the front door open. His brother stepped through the doorway, but Jamie was nowhere in sight. He turned the television off and stood up. "Did you lose my son?" he asked with a small chuckle.

Lucas sighed and placed his hands gently in his pockets. "No," he replied, shutting the door with his foot. "He saw Haley and Brooke in Brooke's car on the way up here and got a little too curious. He got there before I could stop him, and they seemed fine with it. They were both crying though; I don't think anything was fine."

Nathan furrowed his brow and mimicked his brother's actions, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Did you ask them what was going on?"

His brother shook his head. "No, I didn't. But speaking of tears…" He let out another long sigh. "What are you doing to Haley? You're breaking her heart, Nate…again."

"Lucas, I'm not doing anything, okay? I tried to be there for her, and she kept pushing me away."

"Do you still love her?" Lucas asked.

Nathan sighed softly. "You know that I do, Luke."

Lucas shook his head disapprovingly. "Then what's Riley?"

The younger brother groaned. "Riley is…someone to take my mind off of things. Everything is always so damn serious around here. I feel like I'm living in a morgue sometimes, Luke."

"Nathan, are you sleeping with her?"

Nathan let out a bitter laugh. "I can't believe that you would ask me that…that you would have to ask me that."

Lucas put his hands in the air in defense. "I'm sorry, but your track record doesn't exactly paint a picture of monogamy."

Closing his eyes, Nathan answered quietly. "No, I'm not sleeping with her. In fact, we kissed exactly once on our first date, and I just wasn't into it." He shrugged. "I'm not into her like that. She's just a cool person to hang out with."

"Is it necessary to bring her over here and throw it in Haley's face then? You know she thinks it's something more."

"I didn't mean for it to be that way, okay?" Nathan answered. "I wasn't really thinking about it when I invited her over here. I realize that I've made a lot of mistakes, especially here lately."

Lucas breathed in deeply and then placed his hands on his hips. "Quit trying to force Haley to be with you. She doesn't want that."

"Yes, she's made herself perfectly clear," Nathan replied.

His brother stepped closer to him and looked him in the eye. "Nathan, cut the bullshit…with your dating but not dating this Riley chick and all your short, conceited little answers. Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass, you'd see that you're the one who is making Haley act this way."

Nathan shook his head and answered loudly, "No."

"Yes," Lucas challenged. "You weren't here for two years, so you don't know what she was like during that time. She changed the moment those papers were signed, and she hasn't been the same Haley since. _You _did this to her. So quit being so damn self-righteous, and fix it. She needs you, you need her, and Jamie needs the both of you." He shook his head. "Here's an idea: if you don't want to be like Dan, don't."

"Lucas, watch it," Nathan warned. He couldn't believe that he was throwing his asshole of a father in his face like that. He would never be like Dan; he couldn't. Dan was a murderer, and he was serving his time for killing his brother. He had been a horribly unfair father in Nathan's childhood, and he would never be forgiven for that. More importantly, he would never know his grandson. He didn't deserve to.

Lucas shrugged. "I'm just pointing out what you can't see yourself, little brother. And if you would have seen Hales and how broken she was after you left her, you would do the same thing."

Nathan sighed as he looked at his brother. On almost every level, he knew he was right, but he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe that he was the one who changed that beautiful woman into the broken person she now was. It just wasn't possible; was he that horrible? He knew the only way to find out would be to talk to Haley about it, and he knew that would be the hardest conversation yet. But he wanted to fix it, like Lucas said. He wanted to be better, but he felt like he had changed, too.

Both turned to look at the door when it opened. Jamie was in Haley's arms almost fast asleep. The tearstains could still be seen on her face, but they were subtle. Brooke didn't look like her usual, bubbly self, but seeing Haley that way had become a pretty regular occurrence.

Haley began to feel awkward once she noticed that everyone's eyes were on her. "I'm just going to, um…yeah," she said quietly, motioning towards the hall. She carried Jamie to his room and placed him on the bed, pulling the covers up over his little body. She brushed his hair out of his eyes and kissed his forehead. "I love you, baby boy."

* * *

"Oh, my God," Brooke breathed. Her eyes had almost tripled in size when she'd heard the words out of her best friend's mouth. "Wait, what? How could you be…" she trailed off.

Haley wiped at her eyes. There really was no reason for her to be crying, but she couldn't seem to stop. "I…last month when Nathan and I…slept together…" Even these next words of explanation were hard to get out.

Brooke raised her eyebrows. "Haley, you didn't use protection? I don't…you're usually Miss Responsible."

Haley nodded shortly. "Yeah, thanks." She sighed. "I know; you're right. But in that moment I was honestly only thinking about one thing. I got so caught up in the moment. Protection was really the last thing on my mind, Brooke."

"I thought you were on the pill," Brooke observed.

"I was. But Dane kept pressuring me to have sex and I figured if I went off of the pill I would always have a reason to stop myself." She shrugged slightly. "And I wouldn't have to feel guilty about it because there was a scientific risk if we actually did it."

Brooke shook her head. "Haley, you don't need another reason to not have sex. And you definitely didn't need to feel guilty because that ass was pressuring you. That's on him."

Haley nodded. "No, yeah…I know. I just…what am I going to do, Brooke? This can't happen right now."

Brooke reached over and took her friend's hand in her own. "I hate to say it, Tutor Girl, but it's a little too late," she offered sadly.

Blinking back a few more tears, Haley leaned back only to bang her head hard on the glass window. Her hand flew up to hold her head.

Brooke covered her mouth with her now free hand, trying to hold in her laughter. After a moment, she couldn't anymore and busted out laughing.

Haley looked up, still rubbing her head. With her other hand, she slapped her friend's leg. "Stop laughing!" However, a moment later, she began to laugh as well. "Damn your car."

There was a knock on the window Haley had just bumped into and she turned to see her son looking into the glass. She turned to look at Brooke briefly, saying, "We'll finish this later."

Brooke nodded and watched Haley open the door. They both scooted over, and Jamie climbed in, shutting the door behind him. "Hey, guys," he said with a smile. "Uncle Lucas went upstairs to talk to Daddy, but I wanted to come in here." He looked around the vehicle. "Why are you sitting in Aunt Brooke's car?"

Haley smiled and wiped at her eyes. "Oh, you know how silly we are, Jimmy Jam. Did you have fun with Uncle Lucas?"

Jamie nodded his head. "It was awesome. We went to see Uncle Skills and had a water gun fight…inside the house! Maybe we can do that here sometime."

"Hey, maybe on game night," Brooke suggested.

Haley turned and shot a glare at Brooke. "Yeah, we'll see, Jame."

They sat there for a moment before Jamie climbed into Haley's lap, resting his head on her shoulder. His eyes closed, and she knew that he was probably tired from his big day. Her hand began to rub up and down his back slowly while the other rested on his leg. "I missed you today, buddy," she said quietly.

Jamie smiled, but his eyes didn't open. "I missed you, too, Mom. And I love you."

"I love you, too." It felt like forever since she had said those words to her son or heard them from him, and that made her want to slap herself. Had she been making Jamie question her love for him? If so, had she been doing that since Nathan arrived, since the incident, or since Nathan left two years ago? She prayed it wasn't the latter. She had promised herself five weeks ago that she would do better, but had she really been doing so? She placed a kiss on her son's temple. "Hey, do you want me to pick you up from school tomorrow? We can go to the park and get some ice cream."

Jamie smiled again, wider this time. "Yeah, Momma." He yawned a moment later.

"Let's get you inside, sleepyhead," Haley said, opening the car door. She started to put him on the ground, but his grip on her tightened.

"Can you carry me?"

Haley got out of the car, followed by Brooke. "Of course I can, buddy."

Once Jamie was in bed and fast asleep, Haley closed his door and made her way back to the living room, where everyone was still standing completely silent. They all shared brief looks before Lucas spoke up. "Brooke, we should probably head out. It's getting pretty late." He gave her a pointed look.

"Right," she answered with a nod. "It was great to see you both." She gave Haley a hug and whispered in her ear as she did so. "Call me tomorrow."

"Okay. And Brooke, don't-"

Brooke pulled away from the hug and nodded to silence her. "I know. I won't."

Haley smiled and hugged Lucas as Brooke said her goodbyes to Nathan. Then the two made their way out of the apartment, and it was just her and Nathan left standing there. Seeing as things were still incredibly iffy between the two, Haley turned and started down the hallway without a word. She was stopped by Nathan's voice.

"Hales, can we talk?"

Her feet weren't moving anymore, and she stared at the ground for a moment before slowly turning to look at him. "Talk about what, Nathan?" she questioned.

Nathan ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Please."

"I really don't want to argue with you right now," she replied.

"Good, neither do I."

She looked at him skeptically. "Nathan, every time we have a conversation we end up screaming at each other. Why would tonight be any different?"

"I promise you, I will not yell at you," Nathan said. "If I raise my voice, you can get up and walk out. I won't stop you."

Haley sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine." She followed him to the couch, where they both sat down. She drew her feet into her chest as she leaned against the arm of the couch, and he sat with one leg on the couch facing her.

He tried to think of how to begin. They hadn't had a calm conversation that he could remember, and he didn't want to say anything to drive her away. He wanted to be honest with her, but he didn't want her to take anything the wrong way. He knew he'd been acting like a jackass lately, but what was the right way to start apologizing for it? Did he start with the divorce or with the more recent blowouts? It was all very confusing.

"I'm waiting," he heard her say impatiently.

"Right, sorry," he apologized with a small smile. Taking a deep breath, he began. "Okay, Hales…I don't know if any of this is going to mean a thing to you after what I've done to you, but I have to say it." He paused with a shake of his head. "I am _so _sorry. I'm sorry that I hurt you when I asked for that divorce, and-"

Haley cut him off. "You didn't ask for it, Nathan. You just told me it was happening…over the phone."

He closed his eyes briefly. "I know, and I'm sorry for that, too. I wish that I could blame it all on basketball and the NBA, but I can't do that; you know I can't do that. When you gave me that ultimatum and I chose to leave, I thought it was over. I thought that if I came back you would be the one asking me for a divorce, and I couldn't face that."

"What, so you just had to beat me to it?" she asked. "That's really mature, Nathan."

Nathan shook his head. "No, that's not what I'm saying. I just didn't want to face you and know that it was over. And I couldn't face Jamie. Hales, I tore our family apart, and I know that. I'm not delusional enough to think otherwise. And I've known that for a long time now. But I just…"

Haley scoffed and shook her head. "You can't just come here after two years of silence, act like a complete ass, and then apologize, Nathan. Do you know how much time has gone by? You can't seriously have come back and expected things to return to normal. We both moved on."

"I don't expect that, and I never did. I wanted it though. I wanted you, and I still do, whether you believe me or not. Hales, I can't blame my behavior on anything, okay? But seeing you like this just…it breaks my heart. And I know that I'm to blame for all the pain you've gone through, and I wish that I could take it all back. I wish that we could go back in time to that day and change it."

"What's the point in this, Nathan?" Haley asked, gesturing between the two of them. "Because I feel like you're only apologizing to ease your own conscience, and it kind of hurts."

He shook his head. "That is not it, Haley. Believe me; nothing is going to make me feel better about what I've done. I just want you to know that I'm going to be better for you and for Jamie. It's not good for him to see us fighting all the time. I don't want to be that guy; I don't want to be my father."

Haley's eyebrows rose. "Nathan, I don't see you that way," she said quietly.

His shoulders shrugged slightly. "But it's the way I am, isn't it? I abandoned you and our son. I just…I've never seen it this way before." He paused and then looked at her carefully. "Hales, what happened after I left?"

She furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"What did you do?" he asked quietly. "How did you deal with it?"

Haley closed her eyes. She moved an elbow to rest on the arm of the chair and placed her forehead in her hand. "That was a really dark time for me, Nathan, and I really don't want to rehash it right now. I did some things that I'm not proud of, but that's not your fault. I should have been strong enough to handle it."

"It is my fault," he replied. "You know it is. And if you don't want to tell me, that's fine." He paused and looked down at his hands. "I know I hurt you, Haley, and I understand why you don't want to be with me anymore. It's over, and I deserve for it to be over. But I love you, and I can't just give up."

"Then what's Riley?" Her voice was almost a whisper. She didn't want to bring it up because the thought of the two of them still made her want to vomit, even after five weeks. She hated that she still got jealous when he was with other girls. They'd been apart for a long time now, and she shouldn't still feel that way.

He scooted a bit closer to her. "You think that I like Riley?" She shook his head. "Hales, Riley and I are friends. She wanted it to be something more, but I told her that I couldn't do that because of you."

"So you didn't sleep with her?" Haley looked at him, trying to use his eyes to gauge his emotions.

Nathan smiled softly and placed a hand on her knee. "I did not sleep with Riley."

Haley blinked a few times and then wiped her eyes. "Nathan, I don't know what to make of all of this. You can't just spring an apology on me after you've been acting this way ever since you got here. It's not going to make everything okay."

"I know that." He nodded. "I know that," he repeated. "But it's a start, right?"

She sighed. Of course she was glad that he was apologizing. It meant a lot, but it definitely didn't mean that they would be getting back together or that all of a sudden she could trust him again. She really didn't know what to do. She hadn't expected herself to be in this situation, and she honestly hadn't expected their "calm conversation" to last more than sixty seconds. Without a word, she nodded her head slowly.

"I know we've still got a lot to figure out," he said. "And I know that you're going through a lot right now. But can we try to get along? And be friends, maybe?" he offered. When had they ever been friends? He could not think of a time, but he was tired of Haley hating him, and he was tired of being a guy worthy of no better than that. He wanted all of her, but he knew that that wasn't an option at the moment. She couldn't trust him, and he completely understood. He would simply have to stick around long enough to earn her trust and be the guy that she had fallen in love with so many years ago. He knew that he could do it, and he sure as hell didn't need any other girls. He never had.

Haley looked at him skeptically and then sighed. If she was going to try to be better for Jamie, then that meant that she and Nathan had to start getting along. They both loved their son, and his happiness was important to them. She had never wanted to create the type of home that a child would despise coming back to. She was sure Jamie didn't feel that way now, but they were definitely headed in that direction. She looked up at Nathan and held her hand out to him. "Friends," she said slowly.

Nathan smiled and removed his hand from her knee, placing it around her extended one. "Friends," he repeated.

* * *

Haley watched Jamie from the bench she was seated at. Despite everything that had been going on lately, he looked really happy. They'd gotten ice cream after she'd picked him up from school, and now they were at the park. He seemed to be doing a perfectly good job of running it off. He ran from the monkey bars to the swings about eight times before finally settling himself into a swing. She smiled at him when he looked at her.

A moment later, she saw a figure sitting down next to her out of the corner of her eye. When she turned she saw Nathan.

Nathan looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry; I'm not stalking you. Jamie told me that you were taking him to the park after school, and he asked me to come. I hope that's okay. If you want, I can go." He made a move to stand.

Haley shook her head and gave him a small smile, placing her hand on his arm to keep him in place. "No, I'm glad you're here. It'll be good for us to all spend time together. Jamie needs that." She watched him settle back into his seat. "Besides, we all know how clumsy I am, so me out there running around with him isn't the best of ideas."

He laughed. "You know, I think I'd actually like to see that."

"I'll bet," she answered with a smile. "It looks like somebody wants to play with you." She pointed across the playground, where Jamie was motioning for his dad to come meet him at the swings. He had a huge smile plastered across his face, and Haley knew it was because she and Nathan were looking civil. Jamie had been waiting a long time to see that happen.

Nathan stood and shrugged. "Duty calls. I'll be back."

Haley leaned back in her seat and watched them. Nathan got on the swing next to Jamie, and they both started going, trying to see who could go highest. A few minutes later, Nathan tried to jump from the top and landed on his ass. She couldn't suppress the loud laugh that came next, and she saw him glare at her. They continued to play together for a good twenty minutes before they returned to her all sweaty.

"Did you two have fun?" she asked as she stood up.

"So much fun, Momma," Jamie answered with a smile.

Nathan gave her a small nod. "Yeah, it was great until I fell on my ass."

Haley laughed loudly again. "I, uh…I saw that. Nice."

"Hey, can we all eat dinner together?" Jamie asked.

Nathan and Haley looked at each other. They both knew what he was doing, and in light of their new promise they both nodded.

"Sweet," was Jamie's reply.

* * *

Haley let Brooke and Lucas into the apartment. Jamie was already on the floor with a ton of board games spread out around him, and Nathan was on the couch asleep. Before she could say anything, Brooke slammed the front door shut and dragged her down the hall and to her bedroom.

Brooke shut the door and placed her hands on her hips. "Are you ever going to tell him, Haley?"

Haley rolled her eyes. She'd been bugging her about it nonstop. "Brooke, I just told you like three days ago. Slow your roll."

"What's stopping you?" Brooke asked with a sigh.

Haley returned her sigh. "I just…things are going well, okay? We aren't fighting constantly, and we're spending some quality time with Jamie. I don't want to ruin it; we're trying to be friends. He's putting in effort, and I need to do the same."

"I understand that, Tutor Girl. And I think it's great, but I think he's going to notice eventually. You can't keep it from him forever."

Haley closed her eyes briefly. "Brooke, I'm not naïve enough to think that I'll never have to tell him. However, I don't want to give him another reason to feel obligated to me and to this family. I just want to see how things go for a little while. I'll tell him soon."

Brooke raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "You'd better."

"You didn't tell Lucas, did you?" Haley asked.

"No, I told you I wouldn't. I won't tell him or anyone else unless you give me the green light."

"Okay, good. Let's go."

Brooke started to say something else, but Haley rushed out of the room before she could do so. She had been asking her tons of questions the past few days. When was she going to tell Nathan? How was she going to tell Nathan? How did she think Nathan would react? Was she thinking about getting back together with Nathan? Had she and Nathan had sex again? Did she want to have sex with Nathan again? It was driving her absolutely insane, and she honestly didn't have definite answers to any of those questions except for one. They definitely had not had sex again. She wasn't even sure why Brooke had asked her that. Was the answer not obvious?

"Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad."

"I swear to God, if he doesn't wake up in the next five seconds…" Lucas trailed off. Jamie kept saying his name over and over again at the same volume, and Nathan hadn't moved an inch.

"Dad. Dad."

Lucas moved past his nephew and socked his brother in the arm as hard as he could.

Nathan awoke with a jolt and looked around frantically. His eyes finally landed on Lucas. "Dude, what the hell?" He began to rub his arm slowly.

"You wouldn't wake up," Jamie stated simply.

"Yeah," Brooke agreed. "You totally sleep like a dead person."

Nathan sat up completely on the couch and continued to massage his arm. He glared at Brooke. "Well, tell your boyfriend to find a new method next time."

Haley laughed and took a seat next to him. "Hey, it got you up."

Nathan looked at her and smiled. "Well, if it's you waking me up you can hit me all you want. It won't hurt."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah?"

"Oh yeah," he answered, sticking his tongue out at her.

Haley laughed and shook her head, bumping her shoulder into his playfully. She was surprised at how easy the transition from enemies to friends had been over the past few days, but she knew that they hadn't even begun to cover any of the serious issues. They were dancing around them all, and that was not like her personality at all. Something about this was different though because she was tired of hating him. She wanted more than anything for them to be on good terms, but she wondered if too much had happened. Maybe it was too late. But she knew eventually they would have to sit down and discuss their plans. She would finally have to be honest with him and open up. It scared her to think about trusting him with her heart again, but for Jamie's sake she had to do it, at least up to a point. It would be good for him to know the truth, and maybe then their relationship could finally start to move forward.


	13. Chapter 13

"Nathan, I need to talk to you."

Here it was. She was going to tell him, and then it would be out there. There would be no going back, and she wasn't sure she was prepared to face his reaction. But Brooke hadn't stopped begging her since she'd found out about it a week ago. Haley wasn't sure why she was being so adamant about it. She had plenty of time left to tell Nathan before she started showing. What was the rush? She wanted to make sure that they were doing okay and still getting along in a few weeks. Unfortunately for her, she had just told him she needed to talk to him, and now he was standing in front of her and staring at her with a worried look on his face.

Nathan could tell something was up. She looked scared, and she was playing with her hands, which had always been a nervous habit of hers. His only hope was that she wouldn't tell him that they couldn't be friends anymore. It's not like they'd become BFFs or anything, but they were getting along, and that's something he was beyond thankful for. He stepped closer to her with a look of concern on his face. "Hales, what is it?"

"I…" She tried to get the words out, but just like when she'd told Brooke they were failing her. It was harder this time though, trying to tell Nathan. She kept her eyes on either her hands or the floor, making sure to avoid his eyes at all costs. Then she was sure she'd just say it because she hated lying to him about something so important. "Um…"

Nathan furrowed his brow and crossed his arms over his chest. "Haley, what is it? You know you can tell me anything." He was starting to really worry now. He wasn't used to her beating around the bush like this with him.

God, she was a coward. "I just think we should talk about your plans," she said quickly. Once the words were out she finally looked up at him. So she hadn't told him, but they really did need to talk about what he was going to do long-term. At least, that's what she told herself because she was too scared to admit that she just couldn't face telling him the truth.

"Oh," Nathan answered. "How do you mean?"

And now she had to come up with a conversation starter for the topic. She really hadn't thought it through; her plan had been to tell him the truth. "Well," she mumbled, "I just think you need to figure out what you're doing, you know? If you're staying in Tree Hill for good, then you need to find a job and a place, right? You living here is confusing for Jamie, I'm sure, and you probably get bored just sitting around here all day while he's at school. I'm sure you do, right?"

"Hales," he said loudly to get her attention. "First of all, you're rambling." He chuckled.

Haley gave him a small smile. "Sorry."

"Second of all, I've already started on the job thing."

"You have?" she asked skeptically.

Nathan nodded and gave her a smile. "I have. I talked to Luke, and he said they could use me with the team next season. I don't know if I'm going to do it, but it's there."

"You should do it," Haley encouraged. It really did sound like it was the perfect job for him. She knew he missed the game. It had always been a part of him and one that she loved.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I have to think about it. I'm not sure being around basketball again would be the best thing for me right now, or for you and Jamie."

"Nathan, if it's what you want you should do it. Coaching a high school basketball team and playing in the NBA are two incredibly different lifestyles. You can still be his father and be a part of something you love."

He loved that she was encouraging him to do something he loved, but he just wasn't sure if he could do it. He felt like basketball played a huge part in his abandoning his family. He knew it was all on him, but if he'd had a regular blue-collar job maybe he wouldn't have made such a devastating decision. "Hales, I haven't touched a basketball since I've been here," he said with a shake of his head. "Maybe I don't love it anymore."

Haley shook her head. "I don't believe that for a second. You love it, Nathan, because that's who you are. It doesn't have to be either or this time. Just think about it."

He nodded to confirm that he would think about it. "So you want me to move out then?"

"I never asked you to move in in the first place," she answered with a teasing smile.

Nathan nodded slowly. "Right…I'll figure it out then. I'll find a place this week."

Haley sighed. "Nathan, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't, but it's the truth. And I know this is all really hard on Jamie."

She looked down at the ground and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. "I just don't want him to get the wrong idea with us all living together again. He's going to start thinking we're the family that we used to be, and I just want him to understand that we aren't back together, but we'll both still be there for him."

No matter how many times she said it, it never hurt any less. He felt like she kept reiterating that they were only friends to intentionally hurt him, but he could take it. Nothing she said or did would change the way he felt about her. "Okay," he replied simply. Lucas was right; he was always coming back with these smartass remarks, and that was one thing he'd been working on. He didn't want to say anything he would regret, not when things were going so well between him and Haley. "I'll do whatever you want me to do."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

They were silent for a moment before Nathan spoke again. "So I haven't really checked in with you lately. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Haley," he pushed. When she didn't answer, he spoke again. "You haven't heard from Dane, have you?"

Haley shook her head. "No."

"How's the scar?" he asked carefully. "Does it still hurt?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes, but not like it did before. I can deal with it; you don't have to check up on me, Nathan."

He held both his hands up in defense. "I know you can deal with it. I'm just making sure everything's okay." After a moment, he asked, "Can I see it?"

"Excuse me?"

Nathan smiled a little. "The scar…can I see it? I just want to see if it's looking any better than it did. I would ask you, but I'm sure your answer would be 'It's fine.'"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Fine." She brought her hands to the hem of her tank top and lifted it up until the scar was visible.

It definitely looked better than it had the last time he'd seen it, and it was healing nicely. Nathan stepped closer to her so that their bodies were almost touching and brought his hand to her stomach. He rested the other on her waist as he let his thumb trace the skin under the scar. His fingers moved slowly, and after a moment he moved his eyes to her face.

What was he doing? Haley wasn't sure, but for some reason she didn't stop him. In all actuality, it wasn't an inappropriate action for friends, right? He was just checking up on her scar. When he touched her, her entire body heated up, and tingles shot down her spine. Her eyes never left his face, and eventually he met her gaze. His fingers were still moving over her stomach gracefully, and she found herself getting lost in his dark blue eyes.

Nathan couldn't hold himself back any longer. The hand that was tracing her scar left her stomach so that both of his hands were now resting on her hips.

Haley took an involuntary step towards him, and now their chests were touching. She had dropped the tank top she was holding, and her hands were now resting on his chest. His breath was hot as it fanned out across her face, and she could see him leaning in. She found herself closing her eyes and standing on her tippy toes just so her lips could reach his faster. And then they did. His lips covered hers in a slow, sensual kiss that quickly turned into a fast and heated one. She brushed her tongue along his lower lip before pushing it into his mouth. Her arms snaked around his neck, and there she was lost in the moment with him once again.

Nathan heard her let out a soft moan, and he couldn't believe how much it turned him on. His hands moved to her back and slid down until they reached her ass, squeezing it gently.

She could feel him pressing his arousal into her, and it did nothing short of make her extremely hot for him.

When he found himself in need of air, he detached his lips from hers and instantly began to ravage her neck.

"Don't stop," Haley breathed. Her eyes remained closed as she tilted her neck to give him better access. She could feel his tongue moving over her skin, and all she could think about was what else she wanted him to do to her. "God," she moaned when she felt him biting down on her neck.

"I want you so bad," Nathan mumbled in between his kisses. His hand slid underneath her tank top, and just before he reached her bra he heard a phone ringing.

And just like that she was back to reality. She took a big step back and pushed his hands away, wiping her mouth with one wrist. She pulled her tank top back down and rushed to answer the phone.

Nathan waited patiently while she talked on the phone, but his thoughts were still in on the kiss. It never ceased to amaze him how awesome she made him feel every time they touched, but it wasn't just on the outside. Even when they were together in high school, being with Haley made him a better person. She made him want to be the man that she deserved, and he would do anything to prove to her that he could be that guy again. It wasn't over for him, and he knew that she was still attracted to him. That kiss wouldn't have felt so damn amazing if she wasn't.

Haley found it difficult to listen to the words of the other person on the line and just mumbled feeble answers until she could hang up. Placing the phone down, she turned slowly to face Nathan again.

"Hales-" he started. She had to still feel something for him, right? It couldn't be all in his imagination.

But Haley stopped him. She knew what he was going to say, and she couldn't deal with it. "Nathan, I'm sorry that that happened, but it can't again. Ever." Who was she kidding? She knew that if he were to walk over to her in that instant and kiss her, she wouldn't stop him. He was too damn sexy, and he made her feel too damn good. She mentally berated herself at those thoughts because she knew it would only complicate things even more.

Nathan shook his head. "Haley, please stop running from it."

"Running from what?" she questioned, instantly feeling defensive.

"Your feelings for me." He didn't want to sound conceited, and he honestly didn't mean it that way. But she had to still feel something for him. What they had couldn't just go away that easily.

Haley raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have anything but platonic feelings towards you, Nathan. It was just a kiss."

"It's never just a kiss," he replied. "Never. And if you honestly don't care about me anymore, why did you ask me if I slept with Riley? Why did we make love, and why did you kiss me just now?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Don't be so arrogant. I asked you about Riley because I don't want some sort of man-whore around my son." She knew she was lying, and she knew she probably sounded like a bitch. She was jealous, and she knew it, but that didn't mean she had to admit it. "And we already talked about the sex thing. I got caught up in the moment, and that's exactly what happened today. Drop it."

Nathan sighed. She was so stubborn, and it took everything in him not to say something else that he knew would just piss her off. He just wanted her to open up to him and be honest. "Okay, I'll drop it. But you can't hide forever."

"It's a good thing I'm not hiding then," she mumbled before leaving the room.

* * *

Haley had been throwing herself into her work for some time now, and her students were certainly feeling the brunt of it. She was sure half of them probably hated her by now, but she didn't know what else to do. It was pretty much the only thing that could take her mind off of Nathan and the things she continued to feel. She also didn't want to keep increasing her guilt from not telling him about her news. She knew he would be pissed once she told him and found out how long she'd already known. But it wasn't as easy as just telling him, and maybe he would understand that. She had actually been avoiding Brooke for a few days because she was tired of all the prying about the news and her feelings toward Nathan. Leave it to Brooke Davis to never, ever mind her own business.

She finished up at the school around six and then headed home. Her mind was still reeling from her kiss with Nathan that morning. It was the first time during their week of "friendship" that something like that had happened. She knew that Nathan was suppressing his feelings, and she was thankful for it, but when she kissed him she felt like she was giving him false hope. She just couldn't see herself opening up to him again anytime soon, at least not all the way. And a part of her felt guilty about it, but she also felt like she deserved to distance herself from him for a while. She hated that he'd accused her of hiding, simply because she knew he was right. But would he get the satisfaction of knowing so? Hell no.

When she walked through the front door of the apartment, all the lights were out. She almost tripped a few times on her way to the dining room, where she could see a light glow. She dropped her purse in the doorway of the room and then looked up, finally seeing something she never would have expected. There was a candle in the middle of the dining room table and a few scattered across the counters to provide more light. Nathan and Jamie were both seated at the table dressed nicely and appeared to be waiting patiently for her. He had cooked before, but the scene before her looked almost romantic. It kind of made her angry, but a part of her also thought it was sweet. She noticed a bottle of wine on the table and a covered dish, so she couldn't see what was inside of it.

"What is this?" she found herself asking. She hadn't moved out of the doorway and into the room yet.

"We made you dinner, Momma," Jamie answered with a sweet smile. "Do you like it?"

"Um, yeah of course," she answered slowly. Finally, she moved to the table, but before she could take a seat Nathan stood up and pulled her chair out for her. She stared at him questioningly for a moment before taking her seat.

Nathan pushed the chair in for her and then took his seat. He watched her carefully as she eyed the entire room, and he knew she hadn't been expecting this. But he wanted her to know that he would be whatever she needed him to be and that by kissing her he wasn't trying to force her into wanting a relationship with him. He was sure that his words that morning had come out completely wrong, and that was the last thing he needed. He reached across the table and grabbed the bottle of wine, pouring them each a glass.

Haley kept her eyes on him. There was something different about the way he was acting, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She was trying to figure out if this gesture was supposed to be a friendly one or just another ploy to get her to love him again. She was hoping it wasn't the latter because then she might just have to kick his ass. "Um, what are we having?" she asked, tired of the silence.

Jamie smiled, knowing that she would like it. "It's your favorite, Momma."

Nathan took the lid off of the dish and smiled as he placed it down on the table. "Dinner is served."

Haley couldn't help but laugh when she saw the macaroni and cheese. It was sweet, what he was doing. So she decided not to think about it and to just enjoy it; they could talk later. "Oh, it is my favorite." She glanced at the glass of wine in front of her and decided not to say anything about not being able to drink it. She'd just have to leave it be and hope that Nathan didn't notice. "Thank you, boys. It looks delicious." Honestly it looked a little burnt, but she wasn't going to say anything. It was a nice gesture, and she knew no matter what it tasted like she would eat it.

Nathan served them all, and then he and Haley listened to Jamie talk about his day at school. He always had interesting stories to tell. They asked her how her day was, and she answered truthfully but curtly. She knew they weren't really interested, and she'd actually had a rather boring day.

Once they finished the meal, they were all still sitting around the table when Nathan decided to tell Haley what he'd done. "So, Hales…I told Lucas I'm going to take the coaching job." It really hadn't taken much thought once she'd put in her opinion. He had to stay, and he had to keep busy somehow. He was worried about being around the game again; he couldn't lie about that. But he also wanted to make her happy, and he knew that this would.

"That's great, Nathan," she said with a smile. "I think you two will have fun working together."

Jamie's eyes got big. "You're going to coach the Ravens, Daddy?"

Nathan smiled and nodded as he turned towards his son. That was another reason he'd accepted the job; he knew Jamie would be happy about it. The kid loved his Uncle Lucas's basketball team, and he adored the sport. Nathan didn't want to keep him from that just because of his past mistakes. It wouldn't be fair. "I sure am, buddy. You okay with that?"

"Are you kidding?" the boy responded. "This is going to be so much fun!" The smile just wouldn't leave his face.

Haley smiled at the two of them. She knew Jamie would be happy about it. Even while his father was gone, his love for the sport hadn't wavered. He played at the River Court with Lucas and Skills almost every day during the summer. Even if he couldn't make all the shots, he was happy when he was just dribbling the ball.

Nathan stood up and began to clear the table.

"I can do the dishes," Haley spoke up. "I mean, you did do all the cooking."

He shook his head. "Absolutely not. You go relax. Jamie and I will take care of it. Isn't that right, Jame?"

The boy nodded his head and began to push his mom out of the room. "Go sit down," he ordered.

Haley laughed as he pushed her. "If you insist!" She made her way into her bedroom and changed out of her work clothes. It felt so good to just be wearing shorts and a tank top after being in those dressy clothes all day. She pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail and then went back into the living room, turning the television on.

Minutes later, the boys came out from the dining room. Jamie sat down beside his mom and pulled Nathan down on the other side of him. "I like having you both here," he stated with a smile as he glanced between his parents.

Of course it made Haley feel guilty. Nathan would be moving out soon, and she was the one who had brought up the subject. But Jamie had to know it just wasn't the same anymore. Even a six-year-old could notice the subtle differences. He knew Nathan was sleeping on the couch every night, and surely he knew that there was a reason that his parents hardly spoke anymore. Neither she nor Nathan replied to his remark, and she guessed he was thinking the same things she was.

Haley put on a movie that Jamie liked, and half an hour later he was out. His head was resting on her shoulder, but his legs were spread over Nathan's lap. It really did not look like a comfortable position at all, but that was Jamie. The boy could sleep anywhere and in any position and not be bothered by it. Nathan chuckled as he slowly stood up with Jamie in his arms. "I'll be right back," he whispered.

Haley turned the television off and waited. She thought about just sneaking into her room so they wouldn't have to talk about their little kiss before breakfast, but she didn't want to avoid it. She knew he would bring it up eventually, so she might as well get it over with. Before she knew it he was back in the room and sitting down next to her. He didn't say anything though.

"Thank you for this," Haley finally said, looking at him. "You really didn't have to though."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Look, I just want to apologize for this morning. I feel like I keep making things worse for you, and I swear I don't mean to. I just…I want to be selfish with you, but I know that I can't do that anymore. I'm sorry that I kissed you again."

Haley sighed and brushed a hand through her ponytail. "This morning wasn't all your fault. So I'm sorry, too. You probably think I'm some kind of tease or something."

He smiled but shook his head. "I would never think that about you, Hales. I also just wanted you to relax a little bit. I feel like you don't do that enough."

"You know, I might actually agree with you," she answered with a small smile.

Nathan was silent for a few seconds. "Oh, I almost forgot…I'm going apartment hunting tomorrow so I should be out of your hair pretty soon. And don't worry about Jamie; I'll tell him. You shouldn't have to do it."

Haley bit her lip and nodded slowly. Why was she feeling so guilty about this all of a sudden? Maybe it was because she still hadn't talked to him about her news. She wasn't sure, but she wanted the feelings to go away.

He nodded. "Anyways, I'm pretty tired, so…"

"Right," she answered, quickly standing up. "Um…thanks again." She turned and made her way down the hallway and to her bedroom. He was still acting differently, and she knew it was because of what she said to him and the kiss. She got under the covers and closed her eyes, praying that she would fall asleep quickly. But with her eyes closed all she could see was Nathan's lips. And she could swear she felt them on her skin, too.


	14. Chapter 14

**So personally, I'd have to say this is my favorite chapter so far. I could not have enjoyed writing it more, and I hope you guys enjoy reading. Thanks for all the reviews for the last couple of chapters! Keep it up, and my plan is to get the next chapter out by Sunday.**

* * *

"_God, I'm coming." _

Who knew that those three words could hold so many different meanings? They held the power to express several emotions and several actions, and as Haley lay in a hospital bed once again she couldn't help but wonder about those words. In one moment they had made her happier than ever before, and just hours later she was wishing she could take them back. Why couldn't she ever just catch a break? She knew that she was partly to blame for most of the things that had occurred over the past few years, but it wasn't all her fault. She had been a good person, right? She'd always tried her best to do what was right for those around her and did everything she could to make them comfortable. What the hell did she do to deserve all of this? At that moment she knew the old saying was true: sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Broken from her trance, she heard the door of the hospital room open and close. She kept her head down for as long as possible before looking up to meet his broken gaze. His hands were tucked tightly into his pockets, his eyes were blurred with unshed tears, and he couldn't even look her in the eye.

"How could you do that to me, Haley?" Nathan asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Haley blinked back her own tears as the memories of the last twenty-four hours came rushing back to her.

* * *

She couldn't sleep. As a matter of fact, she hadn't been able to sleep for two whole weeks. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Nathan. She envisioned them kissing and was even teased with the memories of their last lovemaking session. She couldn't remember anything else being more frustrating, and it infuriated her that she couldn't turn her feelings for him off. Why did he always have this power over her? Denying it was impossible, at least when she was alone. She was pretty sure every shower she'd taken since that day that they kissed had been cold.

And as if that wasn't enough, she still hadn't told him about the being growing inside of her. She had unsuccessfully attempted a few more times, but every effort was futile. She was now eight weeks along, and the days seemed to just fly by. With each passing moment she began to feel the guilt creeping up closer and closer. She had to tell him, and she had to do it soon.

Closing her eyes again, she tried desperately to catch a wink of sleep. Her body and mind were both completely exhausted, so she really didn't think it should be all that difficult. Once again, just as she was about to drift off, an image of his nearly naked body popped into her mind. She threw the covers off of her body, suddenly feeling extremely hot. Her mind wandered to the living room and the man she knew would be on the couch. He had found an apartment and would be moving tomorrow, and honestly she was a little sad about it. He had been exceptionally sweet the last two weeks, and even though she couldn't give herself to him emotionally the gestures were nice and she appreciated them. A sudden rush of desire bolted through her as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She needed him.

She crept slowly into the living room. He didn't have a blanket on. Instead he simply lay on his back on the couch. His hands were both tucked behind his head, and he looked to be sound asleep. Before she lost all her gumption she leaped across the room and climbed onto his body. Immediately she began to place heated kisses all over his body. She started with his bare chest and then made her way down his stomach. Before he had a chance to respond she had crawled back up his body and connected her lips with his.

What the hell? Nathan had never expected to be woken in that way by Haley ever again, but he couldn't say he wasn't enjoying it. The feel of her petite body willingly covering his own and peppering him with kisses was a sensation he hadn't felt in years, and he didn't want it to end. He moved his hands from behind his head and placed them on her waist. He kissed her back fervently and pushed her body into his lower half, already growing hard for her.

Haley pushed her tongue against his inside his mouth, grinding her lower half into his. There was nothing slow about what she needed to do tonight, so she quickly moved her hands to his shorts, beginning to push them down.

Nathan, realizing where they were headed, grabbed her hands before she could get his shorts down. He broke the kiss and looked at her confusedly. "What the hell are you doing?"

She furrowed her brow. Why was he being like this? "Do you not want to?" she whispered, looking down at her hands.

"No," he answered, trying to sit up.

She looked up at him, obviously hurt by his rejection.

When she started to move off of him, he sighed and held her in place. "That's not what I meant. Of course I want to, baby. But you don't."

Haley finally met his eyes and glared at him. "Oh, so now you know how I feel?"

"I never said that," he said carefully. "But you said it yourself. If we aren't in a relationship, it's wrong for us to do this. Anything could happen."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice rising in volume. "What's 'anything'?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "You know what anything is, Haley. We didn't exactly plan to have Jamie, did we? I'm not saying it wasn't a great thing, but you don't want to be together now. If we did this and something accidentally happened again, what the hell would we do? It would be a disaster."

Haley's eyes glazed over with tears. He couldn't possibly know why she was so upset because he didn't know that the "disaster" he had referred to had already happened. In fact, it had been happening all around him for eight whole weeks. She immediately broke her hands from his grasp and stood up. "It's good to know that having a baby with me is, like, your worst nightmare," she mumbled before running down the hallway to her bedroom.

Nathan groaned and sat up on the couch. Now he had to go patch that up. She had to know he didn't mean anything by it. It was clear that Haley didn't want a relationship with him, so why would she freak out about them not having another child? He stood up after a few minutes and made his way to her room, not bothering to knock as he waltzed in. He saw her lying on her side, her back facing him, and he could tell she was crying. He closed the door quietly and walked to her side of the bed, taking a seat on the edge next to her. Using the pad of his thumb, he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Hales, I'm sorry."

"Why?" she uttered. "It's not like you did anything. I wouldn't expect a normal twenty-four year old man to be hoping to slip one past the goalie, so congratulations. You're officially a normal twenty-four year old man."

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and was relieved when she allowed him to leave it there. "You know it isn't like that, baby. I love you, and I would love nothing more than to be with you, buy a house, and fill it up with children as soon as possible. But it's not what you want, and I know that. I'm just trying to give you what you want."

Finally convincing herself to stop crying, Haley rolled onto her back and looked up at his face. She raised a hand to caress his cheek softly. "Then make love to me," she whispered.

Nathan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew she didn't really want this, and he had to somehow find the strength to walk away from her. "Hales-"

"Please, Nathan," she whimpered, closing her eyes as another tear fell.

Who was he kidding? He couldn't resist her. Not now and not ever. In two seconds his body was covering hers and his lips were pressed against hers in a gentle kiss.

Their kisses were slow and passionate, but Haley wanted more. She wanted to forget about it all and give in to her fantasies of the past few weeks. She wanted to really feel him, and she didn't want to take her time. She pushed him off of her and then climbed onto him, straddling his hips. She kissed him again, this time more forcefully and ran her hands up and down his chest as her lower body pressed against his arousal teasingly.

Nathan was surprised at her speed and her aggression but didn't object. This was her night, and whatever she wanted to do would be done. After a few minutes, he felt the need to be inside her become overwhelming so he hastily removed all her clothes.

Not long after, she had removed his shorts and boxers as well.

Before he even knew what was happening she had lowered herself onto him and let out that beautiful gasp which turned him on even more. He groaned in pleasure when she rose up and then slammed down on him again. His hands flew to her hips to steady her and she continued to kiss his body anywhere she could reach, still moving above him. He wasn't sure there was a more beautiful sight than the view he had from below her. When he had the chance he captured her lips in a passionate kiss as he moved one hand to her back.

Haley absolutely couldn't get enough of his body as she increased her pace again, his hips rising to meet hers every time. He took her by surprise when he swiftly rolled them over so he was on top.

He didn't know what had gotten into him, but all of a sudden it wasn't just about Haley anymore. She said she needed him, but he knew there was no denying that he needed her as well. There was a primal hunger for her residing inside of him, and he didn't ever want to stop making love to her. He pounded into her hard and fast, just like she seemed to want it.

This was definitely what she needed. Nathan was being rough, and she did not mind it a bit. The mixture of pleasure and pain she was feeling could not have her body more on fire. She bit down on his shoulder and dug her nails into his back to keep her moans to a minimum. Jamie was asleep, and this was not something he needed to witness. "Nathan," she breathed as he picked up the intensity once again. "Nothing has ever felt this good."

Nathan smirked before attaching his lips to hers again, their tongues battling for dominance. He rested one elbow beside her head while his other hand stayed glued to her breast. His breath was coming in deep pants now, and he knew it wouldn't be long. He pulled his lips away from hers and moved them to her ear. "No one but me can make you feel this way," he whispered huskily as he continued to move inside of her. "No one can make you writhe like this." He placed a soft kiss just below her ear. "No one can make you scream like I can."

Haley bit her lip hard, trying to stifle the moans she knew would be coming within seconds. She could feel her orgasm building and pushed her hands into his back, bringing his chest closer to hers. "God, I'm coming," she cried out as her entire body started to tingle.

Nathan could feel her experiencing bliss and hear her as his name spilled from her lips over and over again. Seconds later he was right there with her and collapsed on top of her with a low groan. It seemed it was impossible for him to slow his breathing down.

They lay there, him still inside her, minute after minute. Neither wanted to lose the moment, but eventually Nathan moved. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and then made a trail down her neck and to her shoulder. "I love you, Haley," he whispered. In no way was he expecting to hear it back. He knew she wasn't ready for that, but that didn't mean he couldn't continue to make his feelings for her blatantly clear. It was impossible for him to keep them in when she was lying there naked beneath him, looking incredibly beautiful and pure. He pulled back to look into her eyes, trying to gauge her emotions. "I'm sorry I ever hurt you. I could never love anyone else, baby. You're it for me, and you always have been." He placed another lingering kiss on her lips before rolling off of her.

Haley felt him move to get out of the bed and caught his arm. Tears had formed in her eyes as he spoke to her. She knew he was sincere; she could see it in his eyes. And somehow that made her feel even worse. She wanted him so badly, in every way, and tonight had helped her realize it. She just wasn't sure she could trust either one of them to go there again. One night couldn't hurt though. "Stay with me tonight," she whispered.

Nathan smiled softly and nodded. He moved his body back next to hers and pulled the duvet up over them. She turned on her side, and he pressed his warm body into hers from behind, his arms wrapped around her small frame.

She felt his hands resting on her stomach and wished he knew how special it made her feel. Without even knowing it he was caressing their child, and she wanted to tell him. But his words from earlier kept her from doing so. _"It would be a disaster." _Would he really be unhappy about it? Would he resent their child for it? She blinked back tears and placed her hands over his much larger ones. And finally, after two weeks of insomnia, she fell asleep.

The next morning, Haley woke up with a smile on her face. It quickly disappeared, however, when she realized that she was alone in her bed. The empty side felt cold, and she sighed, wondering what last night had meant to Nathan. Did it mean as much as it did to her? She glanced at the clock. "Shit," she mumbled, jumping out of bed and running to get in the shower. She was late and needed to get ready for work. Since she didn't hear anyone else in the apartment, she figured Nathan had already left to drop Jamie off at school. While washing the shampoo out of her hair, she made a decision. She was going to wait for him to return and then tell him, no matter how hard it was. He deserved to know, and she had kept it a secret for far too long.

After getting out of the shower, Haley got dressed appropriately and fixed her hair to perfection. She did her makeup and then wandered out to the living room, expecting Nathan to be back by now. After checking every room of the apartment, it was confirmed that he was still out. She looked at the clock again and knew she would be late for work. Rummaging through her cluttered closet, she finally found the shoes she wanted and sat down on her bed to put them on. Upon hearing a loud knock on the door she furrowed her brow and looked up. "Nathan?" she muttered confusedly. He had a key, so why would he be knocking? When she heard it again, she called that she would be just a minute and continued to put her shoes on.

As she stood to go to the door, there was another round of knocking, but it was much louder. "God, I'm coming!" she shouted. Whoever the hell it was obviously needed to work on their patience because they couldn't have been out there for more than three minutes. She finally reached the door and threw it open, the other hand placed securely on her hip. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at the smiling blonde she hadn't seen in several weeks.

"Hey, baby," Dane greeted her, pushing his way into the apartment. He turned to face her, a wide smile still plastered on his face.

Haley turned but kept her hand on the doorknob. She was literally speechless.

"Aren't you going to close the door?" he asked amusedly.

Finally, her mind was able to comprehend what was happening as she glared up at him menacingly. "No," she answered forcefully. "I'm waiting for you to get the hell out so I can slam it in your face."

Dane let out a laugh and walked over to her. Taking her hand, he pushed it away from the door and then proceeded to close and lock it. "I don't think so, pretty lady."

A cold shiver ran down Haley's spine, so contradictory to the warm and fuzzy feelings she'd felt the night before as Nathan made love to her and spooned her after. "Dane, this is not the time. I'm late for work. Not to mention the fact that we aren't together anymore, so what the hell are you doing here?" She crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. She refused to ever admit it to his face, but her heart rate had picked up dramatically and she felt incredibly nervous.

He sighed and stepped closer to her. "I miss you, Haley. My life isn't the same without you. I miss Jamie, too."

She stared at him coldly. "Don't you ever talk to or about my son again."

Dane shook his head. "I'm sorry for everything that happened between us, baby. We both made some mistakes, and I'm willing to forgive you if you're willing to forgive me."

"Excuse me?" she answered, lifting an eyebrow in disbelief. "You destroyed our relationship because you're an ass. And I've moved on, so you're wasting your time."

"Oh, yeah? With who?" he questioned. "That old gimpy ass ex-husband of yours? You could do so much better, baby."

Haley scoffed. "Actually, yes, and I love him. As a matter of fact, we're having a baby." The words came out of her mouth before she even realized what she was saying. And in a millisecond, she knew it was the wrong thing to say to Dane. Firstly, she still hadn't told Nathan. Also, she knew Dane wouldn't be happy to hear that she'd slept with Nathan again and not him.

"Damn, that was quick," he answered with a sardonic laugh. "But for a whore, I guess I shouldn't be surprised." He sighed and stepped close to her again. "But don't worry, baby. I forgive you." He smiled. "We can still be together, just as long as you promise to fuck me good and hard."

Haley gave his chest a hard shove. "No we can't!" she shouted, once again letting her emotions get the better of her. "Get out!" She unlocked the front door and opened it wide so he could leave.

Dane regained his balance and then shook his head disapprovingly. Immediately Haley knew she'd made a mistake. He lunged at her and tackled her to the ground effortlessly, not wasting anytime as he began to beat her. His fist collided with her face numerous times, and although she tried to fight him her efforts were futile. He was a strong man, and her strength was no match for his. She never stopped trying though.

Feeling like he'd beaten her significantly, Dane stood up and looked down at her with a hard glare. He watched her roll on the floor slowly and knew she wouldn't get up while he was still there. Just as he was about to leave, he decided he wasn't finished yet. "If you can't have my baby, then you won't have his either," he said loudly. He kicked her stomach hard and then repeated the action again.

Nathan pulled into the parking lot and stopped his car, taking a deep breath as he undid his seatbelt. He wasn't sure that he was prepared to face Haley and hear her call their rendezvous last night a mistake. It wasn't a mistake, and being with her never was. He was tired of waiting for her to see that, but he knew he would wait until the end of time if he had to. She was worth every bit of heartache and longing he experienced.

After turning the vehicle off and stepping out of the car, Nathan shut the door and ran a tired hand through his hair. He proceeded to the stairs and made his way up all three flights when he heard a man's voice yelling. As he rounded the corner, he saw that the front door to the apartment was wide open, and he immediately broke out into a sprint. When he made it inside the apartment, he instantly ran to Dane and tackled him to the ground, his fist colliding with the blonde's face more than once. He didn't allow for his opponent to hit him even once as he wailed on him, completely letting out all the anger he held towards this man. Then he finally remembered that Haley was lying on the floor next to him, and he hadn't seen her move or heard her speak. He got off of Dane, taking a single glance at his bloodied face, and then knelt beside the love of his life.

Dane stood up and wiped the blood from his face with an evil grin. He made it to the door and then turned to look at Nathan once more. With a menacing laugh, he stated loudly and clearly, "Your baby's dead."

Nathan heard him but refused to acknowledge him as he heard the door shut behind him. He shook Haley's shoulders. "Haley, wake up. Wake up, baby."

Haley's eyes opened slowly, but her face hurt, as did the rest of her body. "Don't call me baby," she managed to choke out.

After taking her to the hospital to get her bruises checked out, Nathan called Brooke from the waiting room. He couldn't stop thinking about what Dane had said to him, and he knew if someone could help him out it would be his girl's best friend. She let him know that she was on her way to the hospital, and he placed himself in one of those padded yet uncomfortable seats that no one is ever able to get used to. He let his concern for Haley take over for a while. Her face hadn't looked good at all, and there were bruises all over her body as well. It looked like it hurt like hell, and he wished he had been the one there when Dane had first arrived. What the hell was he doing there anyways? Surely he hadn't been invited.

Twenty minutes later he looked up and saw Brooke rushing towards him. "What's going on?" she rushed out. "Is she okay?"

Nathan sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "She's going to be fine, Brooke. They're just taking a look at her bruises."

Brooke breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. Nathan had explained that Dane had shown up but hadn't clued her in on what really occurred. She had been scared to death, thinking her best friend had been stabbed again or worse. To find out that there were only bruises was a breath of fresh air, but she still felt bad for her friend.

"Brooke, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me," Nathan said, looking at her seriously.

She nodded wordlessly, scared by the serious tone of his voice.

"Is Haley pregnant?"

Brooke's eyes widened. Clearly if he was unsure about it she hadn't told him, so how did he know? Deciding to respect Haley's wishes and play dumb, she said the only thing she could think of. "No. What the hell gave you that idea?"

Nathan saw right through her, and he immediately knew that she knew something he didn't. Even if Haley wasn't pregnant, she was hiding something. "Because when Dane left he told me my baby was dead."

"Wait, he said the baby was dead?" Brooke questioned, instantly growing more worried. "What did he mean?"

"I don't know. I was a little preoccupied," Nathan snapped. She didn't say anything, and after taking a deep breath he addressed her again. "Brooke, do not lie to me. I'm going to ask you one more time. Is Haley pregnant?"

Brooke looked away, and after a moment she sighed and nodded her head softly. "Yes, Haley is pregnant."

Nathan shook his head, and although he wanted to ask more he couldn't be around her anymore. She had betrayed his trust right along with Haley. He turned and walked down the hallway. He needed answers, and he needed them from his ex-wife.

* * *

"Nathan, I don't know what you're talking about," Haley answered slowly as she sat up on the bed. Luckily she had been allowed to stay in her own clothes as the nurse carefully examined her bruises. When she told them she was pregnant, they said that because of all the trauma to her stomach they would have to perform an ultrasound to determine whether or not the baby was still okay. She had almost broken down but hadn't quite allowed herself to do so just yet. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and held onto the sheets.

He shook his head. "Don't play dumb with me, Haley."

Haley furrowed her brow at him. The only thing he could be talking about was the pregnancy, but that was impossible. She hadn't told him, and she knew Brooke wouldn't betray her trust like that. How could he know? "I honestly don't know what you're talking about," she said again with more force.

Nathan laughed bitterly and removed his hands from his pockets, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know, you would think that after everything we've been through you could at least be honest with me about something like this."

"Nathan-"

He cut her off by saying, "You're pregnant."

She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. So he did know. "How do you know that?" she asked quietly.

He raised both eyebrows. "Well I sure as hell didn't find out from you. And unless you've been fucking somebody else I think that means that you kept the fact that you're carrying my baby from me. How long, Haley? Exactly how long have you known about this and not told me?"

There was no point in lying. It might hurt him less if he didn't know the truth, but she knew everything would come out eventually. She might as well just get it all out there now. She shrugged her shoulders, trying to calculate just how long she'd known about the pregnancy. "I don't know. Three…three and a half weeks, maybe."

He had expected a week at the most. "Three and a half weeks?" he shouted. "You've known for three and a half weeks that you're knocked up, and instead of telling me you told Brooke. Oh, and let's not forget Dane. What, have you two been having a private relationship behind my back?"

"No!" she yelled, jumping off of the bed. Her body was aching, and she was sure she looked like a piece of shit, especially her beat up face, but she needed him to understand. "God, I would never do that, Nathan. He showed up unexpectedly, and the only reason I even told him was because he was trying to convince me to be with him again."

"So you're using my child now?" Nathan accused.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "It's not your child. It's _our _child. And I was going to tell you when you got back from dropping Jamie off, I swear."

"Oh wow, that's refreshing, Hales," he answered sarcastically. "Do you really expect me to believe your bullshit now?"

Haley sighed desperately. All she needed was for him to understand. "It's not bullshit, Nathan. It's the truth."

Nathan shook his head and made his way to the door, putting his hand on the handle. "Maybe it is, but I can't trust you now. Let me know when they do the ultrasound. I'd like to be there since, as you said, it is _our _baby, not just yours." He looked down and sighed again, opening the door. "See you later, _baby_."


	15. Chapter 15

_Nathan held Haley's hand securely in his own, and both were sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. He unconsciously laced their fingers together and took a deep breath as the doctor searched for their baby. He glanced at Haley and noticed that she was already crying, as if she was expecting the worst. But that was Haley; she had always been a worrier. He, himself, was scared to death, but he couldn't allow himself to break. If they lost their baby, he needed to be there for her in every way. She had already grown more attached to the child than he had had time to, and it was going to be harder for her. _

_The doctor's eyebrows knit together, and he leaned closer to the screen, looking for any trace of the baby. He kept his ears open as well, hoping to hear even the slightest trace of a heartbeat. At this, Haley began to cry harder, and Nathan squeezed her hand reassuringly. It wasn't over yet; he was still looking. _

_Moments passed before the doctor finally turned the machine off and swiveled his chair so he could face the couple. His face was solemn, and they knew before the words even left his mouth what he was going to say. "I'm sorry, Haley. Nathan. Your baby is dead."_

_Haley flung herself into Nathan's arms and began to sob even harder. Nathan felt his own tears running down his face, but his grip on her only tightened. He held her against his chest, stroking her hair with one hand. "Shh, it's going to be okay, Hales," he whispered, but he knew it was no use. It wasn't okay, and it never would be again. Their baby was dead. _

_She shook her head furiously in response. "I killed our baby," she muttered through her sobs. _

_Before Nathan had a chance to change her mind, they both heard a menacing laugh surrounding them. The doctor was gone, and they were now all alone with their feelings. Then Dane's face appeared out of nowhere, and Haley began to tremble in Nathan's arms. He pulled away when he felt something wet against his stomach. _

_Haley looked down. Her shirt, where she had been stabbed, was once again covered with blood, and it hurt just like it had when it first occurred. She clutched her stomach in pain and fell to the floor, only escaping hitting her head on the marble floor because Nathan caught her in his arms at the last second. _

_Nathan held her lifeless body and began to shake her fiercely. "Hales, wake up. Wake up!" He shouted the words over and over again, but she wouldn't answer. "Somebody help!" he called. All of a sudden they were in the hospital again, in the middle of a hallway. Doctors and nurses were running every which way, but not one of them would stop to help Haley. He pulled her body into his and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Then her body slowly faded, and just like that she had vanished. She was gone. _

"It's time."

Nathan's head shot up from its previous position in his hands. He stood up from the waiting room chair and viciously wiped at his eyes. He was supposed to be a man, and there he was sitting in the middle of a crowded hospital bawling like a damn baby. But hell, he had a right to. He'd been sitting there for an hour waiting for the ultrasound to take place, and he'd done a lot of thinking in that time. He was still mad, and he honestly didn't expect those feelings of anger to dissipate anytime soon. But then he'd taken some time to just concentrate on the fact that Haley was carrying his child, and he couldn't help but feel incredibly elated. This was the woman he was in love with and who had already given him one amazing son. And even though she had waited three and a half weeks to tell him, that wasn't really what bothered him. He believed her when she said she planned on telling him when he returned from dropping Jamie off; that wasn't it either. The plain fact of it all was that he had found out from Dane, a man who he thought he couldn't loathe more, and the first time he heard about his child he was being told he or she was dead. As he was already a father, those words were hard for him to hear. He was still trying to grasp the fact that Haley was pregnant with his child, but all he could think was that their baby had to be okay. He and Haley both needed that baby to be okay.

Following the doctor down the hallway, he found himself in Haley's room once again. He regretted the way he'd spoken to her earlier, but he couldn't explain it now. Just like in his dream, she was already crying, and he found himself replaying it all in his head. He couldn't lose this baby, and he sure as hell couldn't lose Haley.

He wiped his eyes one more time before making his way to the empty seat beside her bed. He moved it closer and grabbed her hand. She looked up at him, clearly surprised, but he just placed his other hand over hers creating a sandwich. Leaning forward slightly, he placed a kiss on her forehead.

Haley watched him, wondering why he was being like this. An hour ago it seemed like he hated her. Maybe he was just trying to provide some comfort for himself because he felt bad about what they were about to hear. She sure as hell did. Although she wanted nothing more than for her and Nathan's child to be okay, she knew it wouldn't happen. A dark and ominous feeling had overtaken her entire body, and it could not be replaced by anything but knowing that her baby was okay and that Nathan had forgiven her. She didn't see hope for either.

She found herself squeezing his hand harder and harder with each passing second. Her eyes stayed on the doctor's face except for when they would dart to the screen where her baby should be.

God, here it was. It had been a minute already. Why hadn't anything happened? Nathan's dream continued to haunt him over and over again behind his eyes.

Tears continued to flow from each individual's eyes, and they shared a worried glance.

And then there it was. The sound they both swore was the most beautiful thing they'd ever heard.

A smile graced the doctor's aged face as he looked back at the couple behind him. "There's your baby's heartbeat. Everything appears to be alright, but we'll run some tests just to make sure." He paused before disconnecting the machine. "I'll give you two a moment," he added before leaving the small room.

Haley was crying harder, but Nathan couldn't be surer that they were tears of relief. He found himself leaning into her body as she threw herself into his arms, just as she had done in his dream. "I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I was a dick."

After a few more moments of nothing but tears, Haley retracted herself from his embrace. When she was able to calm down enough to where her words would be audible, she spoke. "I'm the one who should be apologizing, Nathan. I should have told you a long time ago."

He shook his head, continuing to hold her hand. After a moment he gave her a soft smile and laced their fingers together. "I understand why you didn't though. And clearly I was pissed off, and I said things that were just out of line. So you have nothing to apologize for. I keep disappointing you, and it's not fair."

She nodded slowly, blinking back more tears. "What you said about…if we slept together and something happened…"

Nathan shook his head and brought her hand up to his mouth to place a soft kiss there. "Forget I ever said that. I was being an ass." He paused and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. "And I couldn't be happier that you're having my baby, Hales. Don't ever doubt that, please. I know that we aren't together, but it's going to be okay. It's going to be more than okay. I promise."

Surprisingly, she was able to manage a small smile. "Thank you," she whispered before placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

He kissed her back softly. It was short and sweet, and he couldn't think of anything more perfect for the moment. "So can I ask you something?" he asked quietly, looking down at their joined hands. "I know I'll probably sound like a total ass again, and if I do feel free to slap me. I just really need to ask you, and I really need you to not be mad."

Haley rolled her eyes playfully and let out a small chuckle. "I see you've picked up my tendency to ramble."

Nathan smiled but continued to stare at their hands, unsure of how he should ask the question in his mind.

"Nathan, just ask me," Haley said gently with an encouraging smile. "You can ask me anything."

He took a deep breath and nodded shortly. "Do you…is there really no chance at all that we'll ever be together again in the future?"

Haley couldn't help but smile at his words. She still wasn't sure if she was ready for them again, but he looked so damn cute. He couldn't look her in the eye, and he just looked so nervous. Nathan never got nervous around girls, and she was proud to still be the only one to ever elicit that emotion from him. She placed her free hand under his chin so his face was level with hers again and kissed him, this time sensually slipping her tongue past his lips.

This kiss lasted longer than the first as their tongues melted together slowly. Neither felt the need to do anything more, and eventually Haley pulled away. She continued to look into his eyes and brought her hand up to caress his cheek. "Maybe," she whispered.

Nathan had never been happier to hear that word. As he looked into her eyes he saw hope, and no matter how long it took he knew they would be together again. Then he remembered what today was supposed to be for him, and his face fell as he pulled out of her embrace.

Haley furrowed her brow. "What's wrong?" They'd been perfectly content a few seconds ago, and she thought he'd be happy to hear that she was opening herself up to the possibility of them being together again.

"I'm moving," he muttered quietly, avoiding her eyes. Truthfully, he didn't want to go. But Haley had asked him to, and he had to respect that. "How am I supposed to go a day without seeing your face?"

"You made it two years. I don't think a day will kill you," she returned. She automatically cursed herself for saying such a thing. They had finally started moving forward, and she had to ruin it by bringing up the past again. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry. That wasn't fair."

"Yes it was," he replied. After a moment he stood up from his chair and made his way to the door. "I'll be outside when you get done with your tests and everything. I'll take you home; you need to get some rest."

She nodded silently, feeling like she'd just given him a ray of hope and then snatched it from under his feet again. Her emotions were all over the place, but she knew that what she was feeling for Nathan was real. She'd been denying it for months, years even, and it was time to face the facts. She was in love with him, and that had never changed.

* * *

An hour later Nathan and Haley walked through the front door of the apartment. They both looked around before Nathan finally broke the silence. "Do you need me to get you anything? Are you hungry?"

Haley shook her head distractedly. "No, I'm…I'm fine."

"Okay, well then let's get you into bed. You need to rest for at least the next few days. We need to make sure our son stays healthy."

She finally turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Son? Are you psychic or is that just an educated guess?"

Nathan let out a chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "I feel like it's a boy. What about you?"

"I don't know," she replied skeptically. "It feels different than when I was pregnant with Jamie. I'm thinking it's a girl."

Nathan smiled, picturing a daughter identical to Haley. "Well, either way…the kid's going to be good-looking."

Haley laughed and nodded her head as he led her down the hallway to her bedroom. "Oh, I would expect nothing less."

Once she was in bed, Nathan pulled the covers up to her chest, as per her request, and then handed her the television remote. "You sure you don't need anything?" he double-checked.

"You know what? Could you get me some aspirin and a glass of water?"

He nodded his head. "Anything else?"

"I mean, if you happen to stumble upon some pancakes, feel free to bring them to me," she teased with a smile.

Nathan shook his head and chuckled. "Okay." He left the room, hearing the television click on as he hit the doorway. He grabbed a cold bottle of water and some aspirin and delivered them to her. She didn't even notice as he placed the items down on the bedside table; she was obviously engrossed in some soap opera on television. Making his way back into the kitchen, Nathan began to prepare pancakes for her. Fifteen minutes later he was covered in every ingredient known to man as he placed a plate of pancakes on a tray. He covered them with the cool whip he knew she loved and placed a bowl of strawberries on the side. One large glass of milk later he was making his way down the hallway to her room.

Haley turned when she noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye, and a huge smile graced her features. "Nathan, you did not have to do that." He looked so adorable.

He shrugged a little and brushed it off. "It's not really much." He placed the tray down in front of her after she sat up against the headboard. "But if my girl wants pancakes, she's going to get pancakes." Before she could say anything, he continued. "And I know you're not my girl, but it feels nice to say that you are."

Her smile never faltered as he spoke. "Well, thank you. It's very sweet," she said, popping a strawberry into her mouth.

Nathan smiled and nodded before walking over to the closet.

"What are you doing?" Haley questioned.

"Oh, I just need to get my stuff," he replied. "I'm supposed to be over at the new apartment in like twenty minutes."

She couldn't say anything. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea by asking him to stay, but she sure as hell didn't want him to go. She cursed herself for ever having brought up the idea in the first place.

Nathan got all of his clothes out of her closet and threw them in the suitcase he'd brought with him the day he'd moved in. "Now you can finally have your space back," he said with a smile. It was obviously fake, but he couldn't let her know how he truly felt. She wanted him to go.

"You may not believe this, but I'm going to miss you," Haley said with a sad smile.

He smirked but then let it settle into a small smile. "I'm going to miss you like you wouldn't believe, Hales. And Jamie. And the new little one, actually. But I'll be checking in a lot today and tomorrow, and I'll pick Jamie up for you. And then, if it's okay with you, I'd like to keep picking him up. If you want to do it, that's fine. I just figured you've got a lot on your plate right now, and you could use the help."

"There you go with the rambling again," she teased. "I'm sure Jamie would love for you to pick him up. And that way we'll get to see more of each other, right?" Her eyes had filled with tears, and she prayed to God they'd go away so as not to showcase how she was feeling about his departure. He was never supposed to live there in the first place. It shouldn't hurt to watch him go.

"Right," he answered quietly. He rolled the suitcase to the doorway and then turned to face her. "So I'll pick Jamie up and then we'll be here to check in with you, okay? And don't worry about having to tell him about me moving out. I'll do it."

Haley nodded. "Okay, I'll see you later." Seriously, why was she crying? She was going to see him later. It's not like they'd been spending twenty-four hours a day together while he lived there. He'd been crashing on the couch, for God's sake. They weren't a couple.

"Bye, Hales," he said before rolling his way out of her room and heading over to move in to his new apartment.

* * *

"How was your day, buddy?" Nathan asked, taking a quick glance back at his son from the driver's seat.

"It was good," Jamie replied. "How was your day, Daddy?"

"Oh, it was alright, bud." Yeah, the day had been great. Haley had gotten beaten up, he'd found out he was going to be a father again, and they'd almost lost their new baby. Oh, and he'd moved out of Haley's apartment. Now he would be living alone. "I need to talk to you about something though, okay? You want to stop and get some ice cream?"

Jamie nodded his head, never one to pass up ice cream.

Nathan and Jamie sat side by side on the steps at the park while the younger boy licked his ice cream cone. "So, what do we need to talk about, Dad?"

Taking a deep breath, Nathan answered him. "Well, you know how I've been staying with you and Mommy since I came back?"

"Yeah, it's been awesome!" Jamie replied with a huge smile. "I love having you back, and Mommy will too soon."

If it hadn't already been confirmed that Jamie had noticed the tension between his parents, there it was. He knew his mom wasn't happy having Nathan back, and somehow it hurt more knowing it was that obvious, even to a six-year-old. "It's been fun living with you and Mommy again, son, but I can't do that anymore," Nathan explained carefully. "Mommy and I aren't married anymore, remember? So we can't live together."

Jamie's face dropped dramatically. "You're leaving again."

The fact that it was a statement instead of a question left Nathan feeling incredibly guilty. He was quick to jump in and correct his son though. "No, buddy, I'm not leaving. I would never leave you again. I'm just moving to a different apartment."

"In Tree Hill?" Jamie questioned.

Nathan nodded. "Yes, in Tree Hill. And I'm still going to coach the Ravens with Uncle Lucas, and I'm going to pick you up from school every day. We'll get to see each other all the time."

"So you're still going to live in Tree Hill in your own apartment, and me and Momma are going to live in Tree Hill in a different apartment," Jamie concluded. "I guess that's okay, but I want us all to live together."

"I know you do, buddy," Nathan replied sadly. "So do I, and maybe we will someday. But right now this is what's for the best, okay?"

Jamie nodded slowly. "Can we go now? I'm not really in the mood for ice cream anymore."

Nathan sighed but nodded. "Yeah, we can go."

As they walked through the door, a strangely satisfying aroma filled the air. Nathan furrowed his brow and made his way into the kitchen where Haley appeared to be cooking about six different things. "Haley, what are you doing? You're supposed to take it easy."

Hearing his voice laced thickly with concern had Haley smiling as she stirred the pot in front of her. "I just wanted to make you dinner to thank you for everything you've done lately, especially today. It means a lot."

"Momma, what happened to your face?" Jamie asked apprehensively. He had seen his mom like that before, and it was because of Dane. "Who did that to you, Momma?" he asked when she didn't answer his first question.

Haley took in a shaky breath. "Baby, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'll be as good as new in a few days, okay?"

Jamie eyed his mother suspiciously but ultimately chose to accept her answer for the moment.

Half an hour later Haley was still putting the finishing touches on dinner as Nathan and Jamie sat in front of the television. Hearing a loud noise, Nathan jumped up and ran to the kitchen, telling Jamie to stay in the living room. "Hales, what happened? Are you okay?" He rushed to her side and kneeled beside her, seeing that she had clearly fallen.

"Damn it," she cursed under her breath. Looking up at him, she smiled brightly. "I'm fine. I was trying to get the plates from the top shelf, and I couldn't reach."

Nathan sighed and helped her to her feet with ease. He immediately began to inspect her for any blood or additional bruising that may have resulted from her fall. "You should have asked me to help you, Hales. You can't risk falling and stuff." He reached up and grabbed the plates from the top shelf, placing them on the countertop.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly. "Did you talk to Jamie? He's been really quiet since he got home."

Nodding his head, Nathan shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, I don't think he really understood why we're not going to live together anymore. But I told him it's for the best, and I think he'll be okay after it settles in."

Haley wrung her hands together. "Do you think it would be too much to tell him about the baby? I feel like I've been keeping it to myself for so long, and I just want it all to be out in the open, you know?"

"I don't know, Hales. It's just going to confuse him more." He shrugged slightly. "But if you want to, that's fine. I guess we might as well get everything out there sooner rather than later."

She nodded and gave him a smile. Not even really thinking about it, she leaned up on her toes and pecked his lips. "After dinner?"

"After dinner," he agreed. As she started to move around the kitchen again, he stood in shock for a good thirty seconds. The kiss they had just shared reminded him painfully of the leisurely, light ones they used to share when they were married. He was moving out though, so he was a little confused.

Dinner was quiet. Jamie didn't talk much and didn't offer up much information about his day. He didn't eat much either; instead, he pushed his fork around his plate only moving the food around slightly. Nathan and Haley tried to make conversation, but it ended up being a tad awkward with Jamie at the table.

"Aren't you going to eat anything, buddy?" Haley finally asked.

"I'm not hungry," Jamie replied quietly, continuing to move his food around on the plate.

"Jamie, your mom cooked a really nice dinner for us," Nathan spoke up. "Can you at least try to eat a little?"

The boy looked up briefly before shoving a forkful of potatoes into his mouth.

They were able to get him to take exactly two more bites before they finally gave up. Jamie went into the living room to watch cartoons since Nathan insisted on helping Haley with the dishes.

Everything was cleaned up and put away rather quickly, and when the previously married couple emerged they shared a knowing look and each sat down on either side of their son. Haley took the remote from the arm of the couch and turned the television off.

"I was watching that!" Jamie protested loudly.

"Buddy, we have something we want to talk to you about," Nathan offered carefully.

"Again?"

Haley sighed. "Sweetie, this is good news."

The boy didn't reply, and when Nathan looked at Haley she nodded, encouraging him to say what needed to be said. "You're going to have a baby sister or brother, Jimmy Jam." He tried to make his voice sound enthusiastic, but he was so hesitant about telling Jamie so soon that it came out a little strangled.

Jamie shot up from his place on the couch and turned around to glare at both of his parents. "A baby sister or brother?"

"Yeah, sweetie," Haley replied with an almost-convincing smile. "Isn't that cool?"

"So Dad's moving out even though he should be staying with us, and you're having a baby? We're going to live here with the baby while Dad lives somewhere else?" he questioned. "Just because you're not married doesn't mean you can't live together. Why don't you want Dad to live with us, Momma?"

Haley's eyes widened in shock. She turned to Nathan who simply shrugged his shoulders. "Honey, it's not like that. Daddy and I both decided that it would be best if he moved out for a while."

"So it's not forever?" he asked hopefully.

Nathan sighed heavily. "Jamie, we don't know. But for right now this is how it has to be, okay?"

Haley nodded her head. "We both love you very much, baby, and we are going to love this new baby just as much. We can still be happy."

"No, we can't," Jamie replied. "We can't be happy without Daddy." He turned to his father. "I love you. I don't want you to go."

Helpless didn't even come close to describing how Nathan felt at the moment. "I don't want to go either, but-"

"You're making him leave, aren't you, Momma?" his son cut him off. "Did you make him leave the first time, too?"

"Jamie-" Haley tried.

"I hate you!" he interrupted her fiercely.

Nathan stood up from the couch and grabbed his son's arm. "Do not talk to your mother like that!" he boomed. "Not now and not ever again."

By now, tears were slowly sliding down the six-year-old's face.

Sighing, Nathan bent down to his level. "Your mom is not making me leave, okay? And she didn't make me leave the first time. This isn't going to be like the first time. We're going to see each other every day. I promise."

Jamie sniffled. "Can I come with you?" he asked timidly.

Nathan shook his head. "I'm sorry, buddy. No, you can't come with me. It'll be good for you to stay here with your mom."

"I don't want to!" the boy yelled, yanking his arm away from his father. He took a few steps back and wiped furiously at his tears. "I don't want to stay here," he repeated quietly.

Haley's heart was breaking at her son's show of emotions. Tears were streaming down her own face now, and she couldn't believe she had just heard all of that come from her baby boy's mouth. He hated her. He blamed her for Nathan's disappearance. And he didn't want to live with her. She never thought she would be the kind of mom who had to hear those things from her child.

"It's not up for discussion," Nathan said loudly. "Nothing's going to change, Jamie. I'll see you and Mommy every day."

"It's not the same," the boy whispered.

"Jamie-" Haley tried, wanting to soothe her son in some way. He looked so hurt and so confused by all of it, and she just wanted to make it better for him. He was just a boy. He deserved some type of stability in his life.

The icy glare Jamie sent her stopped her words. "I hate you," he repeated. "I wish you weren't my momma."

"Go to your room," Nathan said forcefully. When his son didn't move, he gave him a hard look. "James Lucas Scott, go to your room right now."

Jamie stomped his foot hard against the ground and proceeded to do so all the way down the hallway. They heard his door slam shut, and Nathan turned to see Haley sobbing into her hands on the couch. In an instant he was by her side and wrapping his long arms around her petite frame.

Haley balled her fists up in his shirt and buried her head in his chest, her tears falling freely. "He hates me. My own son hates me," she cried, looking up at Nathan.

His heart broke at the site before him and at the way he knew his son was hurting. It shouldn't have to be like this. "He doesn't hate you, Hales," he whispered into her ear, stroking her hair. "He loves you, and so do I. He just doesn't like what's happening. He never really had to see us living apart, and now he has to face it. He doesn't want to let go of our family."

"But it's all my fault," she continued, her sobs finally subsiding. She had her breath under control now and found it easier to speak in complete sentences. "If I would have just forgiven you, we could still be a family. He would still love me."

Nathan pulled away and took her shoulders in his hands. "Haley, I'm the one who left. No one made me do it, okay? I am the only one to blame in this situation, and Jamie's going to know that. I'll explain everything to him, but right now he just needs to cool off."

"Maybe you should stay here tonight," Haley suggested.

With a sigh, Nathan shook his head. "If I stay here tonight and then reiterate that I'm leaving tomorrow, it'll just confuse him more, Hales. You know that." He took her face in his hands and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry you and Jamie have to go through this."

"Me, too," she answered, closing her eyes. When he began to pull his hands away, she placed hers over them on her face and looked up into his eyes. She was positive that he was there for her, and she didn't see that changing anytime soon. Her trust in him was slowly being built back up, but all she wanted to do was get Jamie through this.

"Stop crying, babe," Nathan said after a few minutes. He gave her a small smile. "You're stressing, and it's not good for the baby. We'll sort it all out tomorrow. I promise you that. When I pick him up, he and I will talk about everything."

Haley nodded her head slowly. "Okay," she whispered. After a moment she leaned forward and captured his lips in a sensual kiss.

Nathan let his tongue pass between her lips and massage hers inside her mouth as he scooted closer to her on the couch. The kiss lasted a few minutes before the need for oxygen became undeniable. He pulled away from her lips and placed hot kisses along her jaw and down her neck, stopping to suck on her sensitive spot.

Haley tilted her head to give him better access as her hands rubbed up and down his back.

Reluctantly, Nathan removed his mouth from her skin and stood up. "I should get going."

Haley stood up as well, snaking her arms around his neck and pressing her body into his. "What if I don't want you to go?" she whispered as she gazed into his dark blue orbs.

Nathan almost groaned out loud. "Haley, you know I want you. I can't even believe how fucking sexy you look right now, babe." He moved his hands from her waist so that they were cupping her ass and gave it a gentle squeeze. He kissed her softly and then pulled away again. "But I can't stay with you tonight. We have to think about Jamie right now, and if we spend the night together and aren't actually together he's not going to understand."

She leaned up to kiss him again and then pulled one hand out from behind his neck. She ran it down his chest and stomach slowly until she reached the top of his jeans. Instead of undoing the button she slipped her hand inside to grab his obvious arousal. "So how about you leave after we're done?" she suggested, biting her lip.

Closing his eyes, Nathan tried to focus on anything but her hand stroking him. His body betrayed him as he let out a low groan. Gathering his thoughts again, he opened his eyes to look at her. "You're vulnerable right now, and I don't want to take advantage of that." He grabbed her arm and pulled her hand out and away from his jeans. He then took a step or two back.

A part of Haley knew he was right. Jamie's words had really hit her hard, and even though she did want to make love to Nathan a part of her did think she might just want to use him to block out the pain. She nodded slowly and gave him a small smile to show him that she understood.

Nathan stepped forward again and gave her a long, hard kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded, slapping his butt when he turned to go. She saw him smirk and smiled. "Thank you, Nathan."

He nodded. "Everything will be okay, Haley. Jamie just needs time." He gave her a small smile and then left.

Haley took a deep breath and wiped all the remaining tear tracks from her face. She made her way down the hall and decided to check on Jamie. She cracked open his door and saw him lying on his bed. He was fast asleep, but it was clear he had cried himself into it. In his arms was a picture of the three of them three years ago, and they all looked completely and utterly happy. Haley walked over to him and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "I love you, Jimmy Jam," she whispered, brushing his hair out of his face. She watched him for another moment before making her way to her own bedroom and crawling under the covers. She knew what Nathan had said, and she believed him when he said everything would be okay. But she was scared to wake up in the morning. What if Jamie was still acting this way? As she closed her eyes only one phrase ran through her mind. _"I wish you weren't my momma." _


	16. Chapter 16

**So I sincerely hope that none of you keeled over when you saw that I updated again. We got out of school today, and we're out tomorrow as well, so I figured I'd surprise you guys! I should have been updating at this rate to begin with because I know firsthand how frustrated and detached you can get without an update for a week. I really love this chapter, especially the end, and I hope you guys do too! Who knows, I may even update again tomorrow if I'm feeling inspired. Thank you for all the support and reviews! On to Chapter 16!**

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When Haley awoke, she turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling blankly. In her mind she was reliving the previous night's events and hearing the relentless echoes of her son's words. Somewhere deep down she knew that he was just projecting and that the only reason he was blaming her was because there was no one else to blame. It was only her and Nathan, and ever since her ex-husband had come back to town he and Jamie had been attached at the hip. She knew her son was probably afraid of losing him again, and she really didn't know if she could convince him that he was there to stay. She couldn't begin to comprehend how hard it must be for him to understand it all. They could only tell him so much anyways, and she knew she should have waited to tell him about the new baby. Then maybe they could have avoided that little outburst.

"Momma?" She heard Jamie's small voice from her doorway and sat up to see him standing nervously as he stared at the ground in front of him.

"Come here, baby," she said, pulling the covers on the empty side of the bed back. She was thrilled that he was speaking to her, afraid that after last night all she'd be getting was the silent treatment.

The little pitter-patter of his feet was heard seconds later as he ran to her bed and jumped up into it. He snuggled close to her body, resting his head on her stomach. A thick silence filled the air for a few moments before the boy spoke. "I don't hate you, Momma."

His voice was hardly above a whisper, but Haley heard him loud and clear. She smiled softly as she let one of her hands run through his sandy blonde hair. "I know, buddy. It's okay."

"I want Daddy to stay with us," he said quietly after another minute. "I don't want him to leave again. I was really sad the last time."

Haley took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly. "So was I, Jamie, but this isn't like last time. Daddy isn't leaving us; he's just moving to another place. You understand that, right?" She could tell he was nodding by the movement on her stomach.

"Do you love Daddy?" he asked.

"Yes, I love your dad, Jamie," Haley replied. And she did. She had finally admitted it to herself, and there was no use in keeping it a secret any longer, especially around Jamie. He needed to know that the hostility was over.

Jamie sighed and pushed himself up so he was sitting next to her stomach. He reached a hand out and placed it in the middle of her belly. "So there's a baby in there?" he inquired.

Haley immediately smiled as she thought of her unborn child and nodded. It was nice to see Jamie curious like this. Maybe he'd actually be excited about it.

"How did it get in there?" was his next question.

Haley's face fell. This was so not a conversation she wanted to be having, and she didn't think it would be needed for years to come. "What do you mean?" she asked tentatively.

He shrugged and crinkled his nose as his head cocked to one side. "Does someone put it there?"

She cleared her throat loudly. "Um, sort of. You know what? Why don't you ask your daddy about that when he picks you up from school?"

"Okay," Jamie conceded. "I want to have a baby brother. Girls are gross."

Haley laughed and placed a hand on her stomach next to Jamie's. "Well pretty soon you won't think so, bud. But if you get a baby sister, you're going to have to protect her. Can you do that?"

Jamie nodded eagerly. "I'm strong like Daddy."

With a smile, Haley leaned forward and kissed Jamie's forehead. "Alright, let's get you ready for school."

* * *

Walking into Haley's apartment, Nathan sighed loudly and watched his son race to his room to put his stuff away. He sat on the couch, and when Jamie came back he took a seat next to him. "So, buddy, we need to talk about what happened last night," Nathan suggested.

Jamie looked down, knowing his dad was disappointed in him.

Taking a deep breath, Nathan continued. "I know you're upset about me moving out, but I'm not leaving. I love you more than anything. You know that, right?" He watched Jamie nod slowly, still avoiding his eyes. "But if you're upset about something you need to talk to me or Mommy about it. You hurt her feelings last night."

"I didn't mean to," Jamie said quietly.

"I know you didn't, son. And it's okay, but next time just let us know how you really feel, okay? We aren't going to get mad about it."

Jamie nodded. "I'm scared you won't be my dad anymore."

Nathan nodded guiltily and then scooped his son into his arms, placing him on his lap. "I'm sorry, buddy. But I love you and Mommy and the new baby, and I would never leave you again. We'll hang out all the time, just like we are now. And then maybe someday we'll all live together again. But until then, if you have any questions just ask, alright?"

With a nod, Jamie looked up to meet his father's eyes. "How did the baby get in Momma's tummy?"

* * *

Haley closed Jamie's bedroom door quietly before walking out to the living room, where Nathan was perched right in the middle of the couch. "He's finally out," she breathed as she took a seat next to him.

His arm instinctively moved around her shoulders as she leaned into him comfortably. "Good. It's been a long day."

Haley yawned and nodded in response.

"Oh, and Hales?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you tell Jamie to ask me about where babies come from?"

Haley sat up to face him and tried to stifle a laugh. "Um, kind of. He asked me this morning, and I just didn't know what to say. Besides, you're the same gender so I figured it was more your territory." She placed a hand over her stomach. "I promise if this one's a girl, I'll take any questions about sex."

Nathan raised both eyebrows. "If that one's a girl, she'll never know what sex is."

With a giggle, Haley rolled her eyes. "Please tell me you're not going to be one of those dads."

"What dads?" he questioned defensively.

"The ones that don't let their daughters within a forty foot radius of a boy. I think the word is overprotective."

He shook his head. Before he would have agreed with her, but the thought of his baby girl being involved with any boy that way had his blood boiling. "Protective, not _over_protective," he corrected her.

Haley laughed and shook her head. "So what'd you say anyways? When Jamie asked you about it."

Nathan groaned and leaned back against the couch. "I mumbled something about mommies and daddies loving each other and then convinced him to play the Wii with me."

Her mouth dropped open.

"I didn't know what to say!" he defended himself. "And clearly you didn't either, so maybe he won't ask again for another few years."

"I doubt it, but I guess you're right. He told me he wants it to be a boy."

Nathan smiled. "I told you, Hales. It's going to be a boy; I can feel it."

"Care to place a bet on that, sir?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow. He shook his head negatively. "What, are you scared you're going to lose?"

Shaking his head again, he answered, "It's quite the opposite, actually. I don't want to hurt your feelings when _you _lose. I'm just being considerate."

"Is that right?" she asked with a bright smile before leaning into his arms again.

* * *

Weeks had passed, eight in fact, and things were going well. Jamie still showed his disappointment in Nathan's moving every now and then, but he was getting used to it. He actually saw Nathan almost the same amount of time as he had when they were all living together. His resentment towards Haley had completely dissipated, and he had returned to the happy little boy he used to be. In fact, he was really excited about the prospect of having a baby brother or sister. He had warmed up to the idea of the baby being a girl, but he was still hoping for a brother.

Nathan and Haley spent almost every night together, lying wrapped up in each other's arms or just talking about Jamie and the new baby. They shared their days but avoided any serious talk about the future. They kissed a lot and made out a few times but hadn't slept together again. Both wanted to, but Nathan still believed it would complicate things. He wanted to make sure Haley's heart had caught up with her body and that she was in love with him again before they had sex. He knew that had always been important to her as well, but he could tell her pregnancy hormones were making her even hotter for him. He had forgotten how sexy she was when she was carrying his child and found himself making nice with himself a lot more than he used to.

"I'm seven!" Jamie shouted as he and Haley walked to the car.

Haley laughed as she got in and buckled her seatbelt. "I know, buddy. You've reminded me more than a few times. Do you feel older?"

"Of course," he replied, looking out the window as the car started moving. "I think I'm taller, too."

With a smile, Haley took a quick glance back at him. "Pretty soon you'll be as tall as Daddy."

He shook his head. "No, I'm going to be taller."

"If you say so," she replied with a shake of her head. "Are you excited for your party?"

Jamie nodded his head with an excited smile on his face. "It's going to be so much fun."

They arrived at Chuck E. Cheese's in about twenty minutes. They'd discussed having the party at one of their homes, but no one had an apartment big enough to contain all the children Jamie had wanted to invite. Finally they settled on the one place every one of his friend's had had their parties in the last year. It was definitely a hot spot.

They walked in, and Haley led Jamie to the long table which was for him and his friends during the next couple of hours. Nathan was already there setting up the cake and everything. Jamie ran and jumped into his arms.

"Hey, buddy," Nathan greeted him with a big smile.

"Daddy, I'm seven!"

Nathan chuckled and nodded as he set him back down on the ground. "That's right. You want to see your cake?"

Jamie nodded and followed his dad over to the huge cake at one end of the table. His eyes got big when he saw the specially made Ravens basketball cake. His name was scrawled across the top as well as the number twelve, which he had declared would be his number when he was in the NBA. "It's so awesome!" he shouted. "When can we eat?"

"Well, no one's here yet. They will be soon though. Why don't you have a seat, and I'll get you some tokens."

The birthday boy nodded and took his seat at the head of the table. He continued to gaze at his cake and looked around at the other tables being set up for various parties.

Nathan walked over to Haley and greeted her with a quick kiss on the lips. He placed a hand on her little baby bump. "And how is my boy today?"

Haley smiled and took his hand in hers. "Do you think we should tell Jamie before the party starts?"

He nodded. Truthfully, he was too excited to wait any longer. He knew how happy Jamie was going to be and couldn't wait to see his face when they told him. He practically dragged Haley over to where their son was sitting and plastered a huge smile on his face. "Jamie, we have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" Jamie asked, his eyes lighting up. He began to search the perimeter for any presents he might have missed when he'd first walked in.

Haley laughed. "It's not really a present; we just have something to tell you. You know how we went to the doctor for the baby yesterday?"

"Yeah," he replied slowly, not really connecting the dots.

Nathan smiled and squeezed her hand. "You're going to have a brother, Jimmy Jam."

Jamie's mouth dropped. After a few seconds he finally stood up and pumped his fist in the air. "I knew it!"

Haley laughed and turned to Nathan, snaking her arms around his neck. "Looks like you two boys are much more perceptive than I am, even though I'm the one with the child inside of me."

He shrugged nonchalantly as his arms circled around her waist. "What can I say? I'm talented. Looks like you owe me though."

"And what exactly do I owe you?" she questioned, leaning up on her toes.

Nathan moved his mouth to her ear and whispered, "I'll tell you tonight." He backed away with a smile and then made his way to the opposite end of the table, as he saw a few of Jamie's friends arriving.

* * *

"Today was good," Nathan said, wrapping an arm around Haley's shoulders. They both stood in Haley's living room watching Jamie sleep. He'd passed out on the couch almost as soon as they'd gotten him home. He still had his birthday hat on and was clutching a Ravens jersey Lucas had gotten made for him.

"It was," Haley agreed. "He looks so cute."

Nathan chuckled and placed a soft kiss on her temple. "He's growing up, Hales."

She nodded sadly. "I know. So are you going to stay tonight?" She turned to face him.

He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You know I'm not. And we can't avoid talking about this for much longer. We're going to have to make some decisions."

"I know. Things have just been going so well lately. I don't want to mess that up," she confessed. "But I want you."

"In what way?" he questioned. "You want us to be together, you want us to live together, or you want us to continue to be whatever we are right now?"

She wasn't really sure how to answer him. In a way she wanted all three, but she knew that wasn't possible. She took his hand and led him down the hallway into her bedroom. After closing the door she approached him. "I just want you, Nathan," she whispered breathlessly and then leaned up to capture his lips in a passionate kiss.

He kissed her back, as he had found it literally impossible not to when she did that to him. Their tongues met as his hands rested comfortably on her hips.

Haley pushed herself against him as her hands found his belt buckle. She made quick work of undoing it as well as the button and zipper of his jeans.

Instantly his hands flew to hers and pushed them away from his body. He broke the kiss and backed away. "Haley, what is this?" he questioned.

"Well, I thought it was me trying to make love to my-"

"Your what?" he interrupted her. "What are we?"

She ran a hand through her hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know, Nathan. I've been kind of busy. I haven't really had a lot of time to define our relationship."

He ran a hand over his face. "Look, I'm not trying to put pressure on you, okay? I'm sorry, but I'm just a little confused. You want to have sex with me all the time, but you can't tell me how you really feel. And I get it. I know I hurt you, but please just tell me what you're feeling."

Haley groaned loudly and threw herself onto the bed. "I don't know," she practically shouted. "I don't know. Sometimes I feel like you never even left, but I don't want to feel that way because you did leave. And it was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through."

"I'm not asking you to forget about it, Haley," he said gently. He took a seat next to her but left some space between them. "I just want you to love me again."

Closing her eyes, she moved herself into his lap and caressed his cheek slowly. "I never stopped loving you, Nathan, and that's what makes this so hard."

"Please, Hales," he begged. "I just want to be with you. I want us to be a family again. I want to live with you and Jamie, and damn it I want to be able to make love to you without feeling like I'm the only one who sees it as more than just sex. It is, and it always has been. Being inside you feels so good, and it makes me feel like nothing could ever tear us apart again. And I know that it won't; I won't let it."

Haley buried her head in the crook of his neck as tears started to escape her. "It's never just sex with you, Nathan," she muttered. "I've never thought that, and if I did I was in denial. No one makes me feel the things you do."

Nathan used one hand to lift her head up so they were face to face. "Please trust me when I say that I'm not going anywhere. I've been here for months, and I'll be here for the rest of my life. Wherever you go I'll go."

She closed her eyes again and bit her lip. "What if something happens? What if you get another opportunity and you have to make that choice again? It's not fair of me to keep you from the things you love."

"Nothing is going to happen, and even if it did there will never be another choice. You, Jamie, and this baby are my only choice, and you're the only things I love with everything that I have," Nathan explained. "And even if something happened and an opportunity presented itself, I wouldn't want to choose anything but you. You are the love of my life, and I don't want anything or anyone else. And I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."

Haley nodded slowly as she looked into his eyes. She knew he was telling the truth, and she trusted him enough now to believe him even if she knew better. Everything about the way he was looking at her was sincere, and she knew in that moment that she didn't have a choice either. They were meant to be together, and even though it took a huge amount of shit for them both to realize it there was no denying it. She rested her forehead against his and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I love you," she whispered.

Nathan smiled and couldn't have held it back even if he wanted to. He hadn't heard her say those words in over two and a half years, and it was like music to his ears. "I love you, too," he whispered against her lips before covering them with his own.

Seconds later she was under him. He had both her hands pinned above her head as his lips moved languidly over her skin and his lower half grinded into hers. He made sure to keep his upper body from pressing into her baby bump as he bit her shoulder softly and then licked over the same spot to soothe her silky skin. In one swift move he had her tank top over her head and on the floor. He was delighted to know that she wasn't wearing a bra, and he gazed down at her lovingly before dipping his head down to take a sensitive breast into his mouth.

Haley moaned and arched her back into him. She scraped one hand through his dark hair as the other moved to the hem of his t-shirt. Slipping it inside, she ran her hand slowly up and down his chiseled abs. When she couldn't take it anymore, she pushed him away and removed his shirt quickly before pulling his head back down to focus on her other breast. She needed him, but she wanted him to know that this wasn't just about sex for her, and it never had been. Being intimate with him had always been about expressing their love for one another, and although sometimes they referred to their sessions as "fucking" they both knew that they were making love. No matter what they were doing, that's the category it fell under.

Nathan placed a wet kiss between her breasts and then continued until he got to her belly. He let both his hands caress the place where his child was growing as he peppered kisses all over the expanding region. Bringing himself up to her lips, he nuzzled his nose against hers and smiled. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.

She smiled and leaned up, kissing him slowly. Her hands traveled down his muscular back before making it to his butt where she squeezed.

He pulled back and quirked an eyebrow at her, to which she winked and gave him a seductive smile.

Haley moved her hands to the front of his jeans and quickly pushed them down since she'd already taken care of the rest earlier. She used her feet to get them all the way down his legs, and then he kicked them off the bed.

Leaning back onto his knees, Nathan undid the button on her jeans and slowly undid the zipper, never breaking their smoldering eye contact. She pulled her feet up so her knees were bent, and he straightened one in his arm while slowly pulling the jeans off of her. He placed it back down gently and then did the same with the other leg before discarding her jeans altogether. He used one hand to part her bended knees and began placing wet kisses down the inside of one thigh. He made it to the edge of her panties before stopping to look up at her. He could see the pure lust and love in her eyes and knew where she wanted him to be, but he wasn't done. He repeated his actions with the other leg before hooking his fingers in the sides of her lace panties.

Haley quivered beneath him as he pulled her underwear down tantalizingly slowly. Her spine was tingling, and all she could think about was her pure need for him to be inside of her. She pulled him back down on top of her and quickly pushed his boxers down his legs.

Nathan kicked them away and kissed the tip of her nose gently. He took both her arms and placed them out beside her head, lacing their fingers together as he did so. "I love you," he whispered and kissed her lips softly. "You are the most devastatingly beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on." He let his gaze wander down to her breasts. "And you're also sexy as hell."

She smiled and lifted his head back up to hers, kissing him fervently. "I love you, too," she said after pulling away. "But if you're not inside of me in the next five seconds, I will-" Feeling his length enter her abruptly, she lost her train of thought and gasped loudly.

Nathan smirked as he watched her face, also emitting a low groan at the feel of himself inside of her after so long. He began to move slowly, wanting to savor each and every second of their lovemaking. He kissed her slowly before moving his lips to place kisses all along her jaw and neck.

Haley's legs were wrapped securely around his hips as he moved. She threw her head back, reveling in every single sensation he was awakening within her. Their hands were still intertwined, and she squeezed both of his, trying desperately to quiet the moans coming from her lips.

Moving back to her face, Nathan kissed her cheek and then moved himself to her ear. He placed a wet kiss just beneath her earlobe before whispering, "I love every sound you make."

She moaned again, louder this time, not being able to control her volume. The speed of their lower bodies had risen, and she could feel herself beginning to unwind. She kissed him senseless, and when he pulled away she continued to gaze into his deep blue eyes, overwhelmed at how much love she saw in them. "I missed you," she whimpered. "This…us."

He kissed her deeply, showing her that he completely understood. There was no need for him to say that he missed her as well because she already knew it. "You'll never have to again," he swore once he pulled away. Once again, he quickened his speed as her own hips rose to meet his thrusts. Still, he made sure not to put too much weight on her stomach.

As she felt herself beginning to climax, Haley shut her eyes tight and threw her head back. She bit her lip to attempt to stifle her cries, but it was of no use. "God, Nathan," she moaned loudly, squeezing his hands again.

Taking the opportunity, he moved his lips to her neck. He licked straight up her throat before moving to the side and sucking on her pulse point. When he pulled away again, he couldn't take his eyes off her face. He leaned down to her ear and bit her earlobe gently. "Come for me, baby. You look so fucking sexy when you're coming for me."

And that was her undoing. He knew her well, and he knew that when he spoke to her like that while they were making love she wouldn't be able to take much more. She threw her head into his shoulder, biting down on it hard to try to stay quiet. But then her orgasm hit, and it was all a lost cause. She screamed out his name as her nails dug into his hands, surely drawing some blood.

Hearing her scream his name had Nathan coming just after she did as he spilled himself into her. "Fuck, Haley," he groaned, burying his head in her shoulder. No one could make him feel that amazing, and truthfully he didn't want them to. Haley was the one for him, and he would never do anything to screw that up again. She was too damn amazing.

Eventually he let go of her hands, and she moved them to his back, running them up and down slowly. "Oh, my God," she breathed as she attempted to return her breathing to a normal rate.

Pulling his head out of her neck, Nathan kissed her shoulder and up her neck until he made it to her face. "I couldn't love you more if I tried," he said quietly. He brought a hand up and ran his thumb slowly across her bottom lip. "You're my girl."

Haley could not believe the huge smile that came across her face at hearing those words. She took his hand in hers and kissed his palm gently. Then she brought it down and placed his hand over her heart. "And you are my guy, Nathan Scott. And I'm not letting you go again."

Nathan smiled and kissed her briefly. "Good because there's nowhere else I'd rather be. You and Jamie and our new son are my home; I'll never forget that again."

Haley cupped his face and kissed him hard. A moment later she rolled them over so she was straddling his waist. "Good. Now you can make love to me…all…night…long," she said in between kisses.


	17. Chapter 17

**So I'm thinking there will only be one or two more chapters to this story. I love it, but I don't want to drag it out longer than need be. It kind of takes away from the story for me. I've already got a few chapters of my next story written, and it's nowhere near as serious as this bad boy. But it's really fun to write, and it'll probably be longer than this one. Sorry I didn't update sooner! We ended up having the entire week off of school, so I had to take advantage in other ways as well. But I hope you enjoy this chapter, and once again thank you for all the support! It means everything. **

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"Nathan," Haley moaned directly into her lover's ear. Her arms were wrapped securely around his neck, and he was leaning down close to her as he moved in and out of her.

Nathan kissed her neck twice before whispering, "God, that sounds so perfect."

Haley bit her lip as she moved with him. "This feels so damn good," she breathed.

Capturing her lips in a long, passionate kiss, Nathan shook his head. "_You _feel so damn good, baby."

Haley dug her nails into his back as his pace quickened, and she arched her back further into him. "Damn it. I'm so close, Nathan."

Nathan kissed her again, pushing his tongue into her mouth forcefully. "Let go," he whispered into her ear after he pulled away.

As she cried out his name, Haley did just as she was told, and seconds later Nathan joined her in bliss. He, too, let her name spill from his lips as he came inside her. He kissed her lips once and then rolled off of her breathlessly. "Jesus, how many times is that?" he mumbled.

Haley laughed as she stared at the ceiling, trying to calm her breathing. "I don't know, babe, but I think we just broke our record." She turned to wink at him.

"Fuck, my girl is hot," Nathan commented, rolling over to kiss her shoulder.

Haley sat up on her elbows once they'd both managed to get their breathing under control. "Well, at least we got _some _sleep."

Nathan shrugged and nodded. "It's a good thing we locked the door, too. I know you were trying, Hales, but you were a little loud for three in the morning."

Her jaw dropped, and she slapped his arm playfully. "I was not that loud," she replied as a light blush covered her cheeks.

He laughed and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry; I don't mind it. I could listen to you scream my name every second of every day. It's totally hot."

Haley rolled her eyes, moving to get out of the bed. "I need a shower, and you need to think of a reason why you're here so early in the morning."

Nathan sighed, watching her walk away towards her bathroom. She was right. How were they going to explain this to Jamie? She hadn't asked him to move in with them again, and he hadn't brought it up either.

When Haley reached the doorway of her bathroom, she turned around and smiled at him. "Aren't you coming?" she questioned innocently.

With a smirk, Nathan sprang from the bed and followed her into the shower. He stood behind her and let his hands rest on her stomach as they stood under the hot water together. "I love you so much," he mumbled, placing kisses on her neck and across her shoulder. "Marry me," he said without even thinking about it. He felt her body tense beneath his embrace.

Haley's eyes shot open, and after a moment she stepped out of his arms, turning around to face him. "What?"

"Marry me," he repeated as if he had just had an epiphany. "Hales, we've spent enough time apart. I don't want to do it anymore. I love you, and I want to be able to call you my wife again."

"Are you serious?" she asked, still stunned.

Nathan closed the distance she had created a moment before, letting his hands rest on her hips. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and pulled back to look into her eyes. "Marry me, Haley."

Haley's eyes were wide, but as the seconds passed she settled into the moment more. She felt Nathan tracing slow circles on her hips, and a smile graced her features as she snaked her arms around his neck. "I…yes," she finally answered.

Nathan smiled like he'd never smiled before and crashed his lips onto hers in a passionate kiss. He lifted her up, and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as he backed her into the shower wall.

* * *

"How is he still asleep?" Haley wondered aloud as she and Nathan stood in her living room. Jamie was still passed out on the couch in the exact same position he'd fallen asleep in several hours earlier.

Nathan chuckled and shrugged. "I guess he had more fun than we thought yesterday."

"Should we wake him up?" she asked.

"Nah," he answered. "Let the boy sleep. He's been through a lot. I'm sure he could use the rest."

Haley smiled and turned to face him. "You know, we shouldn't be awake either. We should be taking advantage of all this silence. Five months from now we are going to have another screaming baby to deal with."

"Another? Jamie's not a baby, Hales."

She smirked. "Oh, I was referring to you, my wonderful fiancé."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at her. "I would get you back, but it feels so good to hear you call me that. It'll feel even better when I'm your husband again."

"Speaking of, where is my new bling?" Haley questioned with a raised eyebrow. "After all, you proposed to me in the shower, so I assume you just didn't want to get it wet."

His face fell. He didn't have a new ring for her. The whole thing had been an impulse. How bad did he suck? "Oh, my God. Hales, I-"

"Relax," she interrupted him. "I just wanted to get you all flustered. I don't need a new ring."

Nathan sighed as they moved into the dining room and both took a seat. "I'm sorry I didn't plan it out better. Clearly, it wasn't the most romantic way I could have done it."

Haley reached across the table to caress his cheek. "It was perfect."

"So, does this mean I get to move back in?" Nathan asked with a hopeful smile.

"No."

"What? What do you mean? We're getting married."

Haley smiled and took both his hands in her own. "You can't move back in because we aren't going to live here."

He furrowed his brow. "And where is it that we are going, fiancée?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. But I mean, you are a rich man. I'm sure you can figure something out." She paused and took a deep breath. "I don't want us to live in the same place I lived with him."

"Wow, I hadn't even thought of that," Nathan said. "Now that you mention it, I think it will be better for us to get our own place. It'll be a fresh start."

Haley smiled and nodded. "Besides, this place is tiny. It only has two bedrooms, and we're going to be having many more children after this one comes. We'll need to put them all somewhere."

"Oh, is that right?"

"It is."

Nathan shrugged. "I guess we could do that. I mean, they are pretty fun to make." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before leaning in to capture her lips in a fiery kiss.

They kissed for a long time before they heard the clearing of someone's throat and pulled away instantly. Both turned to see Lucas and Brooke standing in the doorway with Jamie in the former's arms.

"Uh, Jamie let us in," Lucas said.

"Yes, since you two _clearly _did not hear us knocking," Brooke added with a raised eyebrow.

"Brooke…so nice to see you," Nathan muttered dryly.

Haley slapped his arm with a grin as she stood up. She walked over to her friends and gave them each a hug. The group engaged in small talk for a few minutes before Brooke and Haley strolled out into the living room, leaving the boys to make breakfast. The girls each sat down on the couch.

"Any new developments?" Brooke asked. She and Lucas had both witnessed the couple's behavior and their shared kisses, but Haley had assured them it wasn't anything serious. They were taking things slow.

"Um, actually-" Haley started.

"You had sex again!" Brooke shouted.

Haley's eyes widened. "Please, say it louder. I don't think Jamie quite heard you," she muttered sarcastically.

"Oh, sorry," her friend apologized quickly. "But I'm right, aren't I?"

Haley shrugged nonchalantly, plucking a piece of invisible lint from her jeans. "Sort of. I mean, we did have sex again…and again…and again…and-"

She was cut off by Brooke's loud squeal of excitement. "I knew this was going to happen," she told her friend with a smile.

"Sure you did," Haley retorted, narrowing her eyes. "Did you also know that he was going to propose to me?"

"Shut up!" Brooke yelled.

"Damn it, Brooke. Keep your voice down."

Brooke looked behind her, making sure none of the guys had come into the room. "Sorry. When did this happen, Tutor Girl?"

"In the shower this morning…right before we had sex…again," Haley said shyly.

"That is so sweet," Brooke commented. Truthfully she was thinking that if anyone asked her to marry them in a shower she would be royally pissed off. However, Nathan and Haley had been apart for so long that it really didn't matter. Haley deserved to have whatever she wanted.

The girls talked until breakfast was ready, when they joined the guys in the dining room to eat. Nathan and Haley stole happy glances at each other whenever they could, and they both couldn't wait to tell Jamie that they could all live together. And that was never going to change again.

A few minutes into breakfast, there was a knock at the door. Nathan saw Haley start to stand up, but he placed a hand over hers on the table and stood. "I got it, babe."

Haley sat back down with a small smile and nodded.

Nathan made his way into the living room and then to the front door. When he opened it, his blood immediately began to boil, and his fists clenched at his sides. "What the hell do you want?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"I want to apologize," the blonde man stated. "To Haley."

Nathan let out a bitter laugh. "It's been two months, jackass. She doesn't want an apology from you, and neither does anyone else. So unless you're looking to get your ass kicked again, I would suggest you leave."

Dane rolled his eyes. "Dude, come on. You're a guy; you know how it is. Just let me talk to her."

"No, I don't know how it is. Why don't you tell me?" Nathan said. He shut the door and stepped closer to the man in front of him.

Dane held both his hands up in defense and took a step back. "I'm not looking for a fight, bro."

"Yes, you are," Nathan replied. "If you weren't looking for a fight you wouldn't be here. Jamie doesn't want you here, Haley doesn't want you here, and I sure as hell don't want you here. So just go. Your half-assed apologies are not welcome here."

Dane sighed heavily as he glared at the man in front of him. "You don't know what they want. Jamie loves me, and clearly I'd make a better father than you, superstar."

Nathan stepped closer to him. "I would seriously think about backing your bipolar ass up if I were you."

"What are you going to do, tough guy?" Dane taunted as he shoved him in the chest.

"You're going to regret that," Nathan mumbled as he charged him. His fist immediately connected with Dane's face hard, and he repeated the action a few times.

Dane found his step as he wiped some of the blood from his lip. He watched Nathan circling him and waited until he was at the top of the steps to charge him. He shoved him as hard as he could and watched with a smile as he tumbled down the cement steps. Even he had to admit that it looked pretty damn painful.

White light flashed in front of Nathan's eyes as he opened them. Damn, his head was killing him. He tried to move his left leg but found it nearly impossible to do so. Looking up, he saw Dane heading back towards the apartment door and knew he had to do something. He brought his hands to the steps and used his right leg to drag himself up them steadily. He wasn't moving quickly, but it was all he could do in his condition.

Dane found the doorknob and laughed when he looked over to see Nathan's desperate attempts to reach him. The door opened before he put his hand on the doorknob, and before he knew what was happening a very angry-looking Lucas had charged him and had him pinned.

When Nathan finally reached the top of the steps, he saw Lucas standing over Dane's body, which was writhing beneath him. "Nate," Lucas said, rushing over to his brother. "Oh, my God." He took one look down at his leg, and he knew it was broken.

Haley, Brooke, and Jamie had all heard the commotion coming from outside the apartment, and Haley was the one who went to check it out. She told the others to stay in the apartment and wait for her to come back. She opened the front door, and the first thing she saw was a man on the ground. His face was completely bloodied, and he was barely conscious, but she knew instantly that it was Dane. Then she turned to see Nathan sitting on the stairs with Lucas by his side. She ran over to them, finally noticing the blood on Nathan's face. It looked more like cuts and scrapes than anything else.

"Can you move it?" Lucas asked tentatively.

Nathan tried, but once again his leg wouldn't move. All it did was shoot a horrible amount of pain through his entire body. "Fuck," he groaned. "No."

"Haley, don't look," Lucas warned her, but it was too late.

Tears sprang to her eyes when she saw his leg. It looked so horrible, probably worse than it really was, but she couldn't take her eyes off of it. "Baby, what the hell happened?" she questioned, finally looking back at his face.

"He pushed me down the Goddamn stairs," Nathan muttered. "Fuck, don't touch it!" he practically yelled when Haley reached out for his leg.

She immediately withdrew her hand. "Sorry, sorry," she apologized.

"We need to get you to a hospital," Lucas said, standing up.

* * *

"Hales, calm down," Nathan said with a small smile. "I'm fine. My leg is fine."

Haley gave him a stern look. "It is not fine, Nathan. That's why there's a cast on it." She helped him to the door and then pushed it open, letting him walk through on his crutches first. He headed towards the couch, but she put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "No. Come here."

He followed her down the hall and to her bedroom, where she set him up in her bed with his leg propped up on a pillow. "Lucas is bringing some of your stuff by from your apartment, and Jamie and I are here if you need anything, okay?" She sat down next to him and ran a hand through his hair. "It's summer now, and we are going to take care of you."

Nathan smiled and placed a hand on her thigh. "That means everything, Haley. But don't worry too much; it might stunt the growth of my son." He smirked. "I'm really fine. I'll be good to go before you know it."

Haley took a deep breath. "Okay. Are you hungry? I can make you something. We don't have a lot in the house, but I can run out to the store."

"Babe," Nathan said slowly. "Seriously, I'm fine. I can get around fine on my crutches. It's really okay."

She nodded slowly, placing a hand on his stomach. "What did he want anyways? I never asked."

"He wanted to see you to apologize or something," Nathan mumbled. "It was all a load of bullshit. No way is ever getting near you again."

Haley smiled slightly. "As much as I love you for doing that, I really wish you wouldn't have gotten yourself thrown down the stairs for me. I feel badly about it."

"Don't," he placated her. "It's better than you getting thrown down the stairs, right? Besides, Lucas beat the shit out of him after that so I don't think we'll have any more problems. He'll never touch you again."

Closing her eyes, she leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "Mm, but you can touch me," she whispered.

Nathan smiled and placed a hand behind her neck, pulling her in for another kiss. He pushed his tongue past her lips and slid his other hand under her shirt.

When things started getting a little too hot and heavy, Haley forced herself to pull away and kissed his forehead softly.

"But I'm not done with you yet," Nathan protested, kissing her again.

"Um, yes you are," she replied against his lips. "You can't do anything more than kiss me with a broken leg, mister."

"You want to bet?" he challenged with a smirk.

Haley laughed but shook her head. "No, I don't. I'm not risking you getting hurt anymore than you already are. Our little escapades last night should make up for all the time we're going to lose anyways."

He shook his head. "It's never enough with you. You're too sexy, Haley."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Nathan put his arm out by his body for her to lie in. "Lay with me for a while?"

"Of course," she whispered. After another peck on the lips, she settled into his embrace and yawned.

Before too long both were fast asleep. Nathan's painkillers were pretty strong and had finally kicked in, while Haley had just been exhausted all day. She was already tired since they didn't get much sleep the night before, and then they spent a few hours at the hospital to top it all off. It had been a long day already, and it was barely past noon.

* * *

"Aw, they're so cute," Brooke observed. She, Lucas, and Jamie were standing in the doorway of Haley's bedroom. They had all just arrived to find the couple fast asleep in each other's arms.

"We should wake them up," Jamie said.

Lucas shook his head. "Nah, they need to get some rest. Let's go watch some TV, and if they're not awake within the next hour I'll let you get them up."

Jamie nodded and followed his aunt and uncle out into the living room. God, he had been freaked out when he had first seen his dad. But once he got to talk to him and saw his cast, he calmed down quite a bit. Luckily he was able to forget about most of it for the day while he was out with Brooke and Lucas.

Ninety minutes later Jamie stood up from the couch. "Okay, I'm waking them up. It's been more than an hour."

Lucas sighed but nodded.

Jamie walked down the hallway and right into his mom's room. He stood at the edge of the bed and watched them for a moment before tapping his dad's shoulder. He shook him a few times, but he still wouldn't wake up. "You really do sleep like a dead person," Jamie mumbled. He decided it would be much easier to wake his mom, so he tapped her shoulder a few times.

Haley's eyes opened abruptly, and she had to squint to make out her son's frame in front of her. "Hey, baby."

"It's Friday, Mom," Jamie reminded her. "Aunt Brooke and Uncle Lucas are waiting, and Dad won't wake up."

Haley smirked while she looked at Nathan's sleeping figure. "Alright, buddy. Go back out there with Aunt Brooke and Uncle Lucas. I'll get him up." She watched him scamper off and then turned back to the man whose arms she was in. He was always impossible to get up, and there was only one thing short of slapping him that ever worked. She leaned up, brushed his hair out of his face, and crashed her lips onto his. She kissed him for a few moments before she felt him finally start to respond.

Nathan kissed her back, but she almost immediately pulled away from him. "Damn, I love waking up to you," he said with a smile.

She returned the gesture and pecked his lips once more. "Well, it's game night, and your son's getting pretty impatient. He's probably been driving Brooke and Lucas crazy. We'd better get out there."

He groaned. "Fine. But you're making out with me tonight, whether you like it or not, sister," he said with a glare.

Haley laughed and rolled her eyes. "Aye aye, captain."

They were in the living room minutes later, and Haley helped him get situated on the couch. Jamie had already busted out just about every board game they owned and was carefully deciding which he wanted to play first. It was always up to the little man. Finally he decided on Life, and everyone except for Nathan gathered around the board on the floor. After some convincing, Jamie said it was okay for Nathan to just watch if he wanted to. So he did. He watched them all play until the pizza arrived, and everyone took a break to eat. He and Haley had barely eaten all day, so they were definitely thankful for the meal. After the pizza they played more games, and Nathan found that he genuinely enjoyed watching them. For a moment he let himself wonder what they would be doing if he had never come back, but he stopped himself before he let his mind wander too far. The thought of Haley and Dane still being together made his blood boil. But they didn't have to worry about that anymore. He was going to protect his girl and his two boys. They meant the world to him.

Brooke and Lucas were gone a few hours later, and Jamie had just finished putting all the board games up with the help of his mom. He followed her back to the living room afterwards and sat on the couch by Nathan's feet.

Haley smiled and nodded towards Nathan, who gave her a smile in response. While they were taking a small break from the madness earlier they decided they were going to tell Jamie that they would all be living together again. Although the decision had only been made that morning, there was no going back. Neither wanted to waste anymore time, and Nathan needed Haley with him to help with his leg so that meant their new arrangements started tonight.

"You want to hear something really exciting, buddy?" Nathan asked, looking at his son.

Jamie smiled and nodded. "Always."

Nathan smiled. "Well, your mom and I talked about it, and we decided that we're all going to live together again…if that's okay with you."

"Duh, that's awesome!" Jamie responded.

Haley couldn't stop smiling. She never could when she saw her son's face light up like that. "We'll be getting married again, so it'll be just like before…but better," she added.

"But we're going to have to move out of this apartment," Nathan said. "Otherwise when the baby comes you'll have to share a room with him."

"That wouldn't be so bad," Jamie said with a shrug.

Nathan's brow rose. "Babies scream, buddy, and he'd probably keep you up all night long. But you can help us pick out a new house. How's that?"

Jamie's face lit up again, and just like dominoes so did Nathan's and Haley's. "Sweet!"

"Sweet," Nathan repeated.

"It has to have a basketball goal," Jamie said. "And I want my room to be upstairs if we have stairs."

Nathan nodded. "Oh, we'll have stairs."

Haley watched them talk about everything they wanted the new house to have for a few minutes before she interjected. "Alright, it's time for bed, Jimmy Jam. Go get your PJs on, brush your teeth, and we'll be in in a sec."

"Okay," Jamie responded. He stood up to go, but once he hit the hallway he turned around to face his parents. "I love you guys."

"We love you, too, baby," Haley replied with a smile. Once he had disappeared into the hallway she walked over to Nathan as he stood up on his crutches. "You have just made our son the happiest boy on the planet, Nathan Scott."

Nathan smiled and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her lips. "Well, his mom has made me the happiest man in the world, so it's only fair I repay him somehow."

"Oh," Haley said with an eyebrow raised. "Well, maybe you can repay _me_ after he goes to bed." She leaned up on her toes to kiss his neck a few times before stopping to suck on his pulse point.

Nathan let out a groan. "I thought you said I could only kiss you while my leg's like this. What I have planned to repay you involves a lot more than that, my dear."

She giggled, finally pulling away from his neck. "Well, we shouldn't have sex. But there are other options, honey."

"Damn, I would love to hear all about them," he replied, kissing along her jaw.

Pulling back, she slapped his cheek playfully. "All in good time, baby." She turned to face the hallway, shaking her hips flirtatiously as she walked.

Nathan's eyes stayed glued to her ass, and when he couldn't see her anymore he began to walk with his crutches as quickly as he could. He said goodnight to Jamie and then retreated to the bedroom while Haley read him a story. He sat himself on the bed and waited truly impatiently. His entire body was so ready and buzzing for her, and even though it had hardly been twelve hours he felt like they hadn't made love in forever.

After finishing up Jamie's bedtime story, Haley said goodnight to him and closed his door. She walked into her room, shutting and locking the door behind her. When she looked up, she saw Nathan sitting on the bed. His fingers were drumming along the bedspread, and his good foot was tapping up and down incessantly on the wood floor. "Somebody needs to be more patient," she playfully chided.

Nathan looked up and smiled. "Come here, you."

Haley returned his smile and sat next to him on the bed, turning his face so she could kiss him.

After a few minutes Nathan pulled away, tugging her lower lip between his teeth. "Now tell me all about these options, darling," he requested with a smirk.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the wait, but this is the last chapter guys! I'll post the first chapter of my new story probably tomorrow or Friday. As for a sequel to this one, that's up to you guys. I'll always be willing to do a sequel if that's what you guys want, so just let me know. And if you'd rather I left it here, tell me that as well. I have enjoyed this story so much! And thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited. You guys are so awesome! Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and I hope you like this last chapter. Thanks again!**

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* * *

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"Are they closed?"

"Yes," Haley said with a sigh.

"You're sure you can't see anything, Hales?" Nathan double-checked.

Haley crossed her arms over her chest. "My eyes are closed, Nathan, and last time I checked I didn't have any sort of x-ray vision superpowers. So no; I can't see anything."

"It would be so awesome if you did though," Jamie spoke up.

Nathan laughed, finally allowing himself to open the door and step out of the vehicle. Jamie climbed out after him. He took Haley's hands and guided her out of the car, shutting the door behind her. "Okay, keep them closed."

"Nathan!" Haley practically yelled. "My eyes are closed. I don't need you to repeatedly tell me to keep them that way. They will stay closed until I'm told to do otherwise."

"You got it, babe," he replied. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he walked her along the path that led to their new home. He knew she was going to love the house, and Jamie had helped him pick it out. Of course, she could always say no, but he had a feeling about this one. The last three he had showed her had been shot down immediately. They were either too big, too small, or too ugly. Her hormones had her being a total bitch sometimes, but he wanted her to have the house that she loved. After all, they'd hopefully be living there for a very, very long time.

Haley rested her free hand on her very pregnant belly as Nathan dragged her along. Her due date was in three weeks, and she could not be more ready to have her son. She loved being pregnant and knowing that the being she and Nathan had created was growing inside of her, but there was a point when enough was enough. She was ready to get back to her regular size, instead of that of a huge beached whale. Nathan told her constantly how beautiful she was, and everyone said that she glowed, but none of it made a difference. Every day she got a little bit bigger, and every day she grew a little more tired. It had amazed her in high school, and it amazed her now that Nathan still wanted to make love to her while she was pregnant. Somehow he got turned on even more than when she wasn't pregnant, and that was something she would never understand. She couldn't control her own horniness. The pregnancy hormones were totally to blame most of the time.

"You're going to love it, Momma," Jamie said with a smile, even though he knew she couldn't see his face. This house was by far his favorite, and he knew it would be his mom's as well. It just had to be.

Finally, they came to a stop where Nathan believed the house could be best viewed. "Okay, are you ready?" he asked, one hand covering her eyes.

"Yeah," she replied impatiently, tapping one foot against the ground.

Nathan smiled and removed his hand. "Okay. Open your eyes, baby."

Following his command, Haley opened her eyes and gasped at the house which stood before her.

Immediately, Nathan knew she loved it. Her reaction to the other three houses hadn't even come close to the look of pure awe and beauty on her face as she gazed at this one. He watched her face carefully though, not wanting to miss any part of her reaction. If there was even a slight hint in her eyes that she didn't like the house, they weren't getting it. He needed her to love it like he and Jamie did.

Haley's eyes took in the entire house at once, and then she stopped to look over it slowly, taking in each and every elaborate detail. God, it was nice. It wasn't too big like the first house Nathan had showed her. She wanted to have lots of babies with him but not that many. It wasn't too small like the second house, which definitely wouldn't be able to house all the children she planned on creating with him. And it wasn't ass-ugly like the third one he'd brought her to; it had been simply repulsive. Although she did feel she'd been a little harsh with her words to him that day, there was just no way she could allow him to think she would live in such a place. This house was the perfect size, the perfect shape, and the perfect colors. Everything about it was just…perfect. She could instantly picture their little family living in the space.

"Show me the rest of it," she said a moment later, a bright smile on her face.

Nathan smiled and nodded, taking her hand in his. Jamie grabbed her other hand, and the two boys led her inside, showing her each and every room the home had to offer. They took her outside to show her the patio and pool and then again so she could view the backyard from the balcony in the master bedroom. Every room was perfect. Jamie showed her the room that he wanted to be his and also made some suggestions about where his brother's room should be. It was clear that he was just as in love with this house as she was.

"So what do you think?" Nathan asked once they had finished the tour, looking at her skeptically.

Her jaw dropped open. "You don't already know?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You haven't really said anything. I mean, it looks like you like it, but considering our history with agreeing on a home for our family, I just want to be sure."

"Nathan-"

"If you don't like it, that's fine," he interrupted her. "We can always keep looking. This one was our favorite, but you have to love it, too, Hales, or it doesn't mean anything. Just tell me what-"

She cut him off by kissing his lips firmly. It wasn't long, due to the fact that their son was standing there watching them, and when she pulled away she smiled. Squeezing his hand, she said, "I love this house. It's home."

"Yes!" Jamie shouted, thrusting his arms into the air. "I knew you would love it, Momma."

"Oh, you did, huh?" she questioned.

"Uh huh," he answered with a nod.

"Are you sure, Hales?" Nathan asked, wanting to be positive that she wanted this.

Haley smiled and kissed him again. "I'm sure, Nathan. We're home."

* * *

"Is that all of it?" Haley asked, watching her fiancé.

Nathan nodded as he folded the last empty box. Moving had been tough, but unpacking had been tougher. He wouldn't allow Haley to do anything at all. She was a week away from her due date, and there was absolutely no way she was going to be lifting and moving heavy boxes around all day. He finished folding the box and tossed it into a pile with the others. "We are officially moved in," he said with a long sigh.

Haley smiled and made her way over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. A significant amount of space was left between them, as her belly served as a barricade between their bodies. "You did a great job, baby," she told him and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"Thanks," he muttered. "But you know, I think I spoke too soon. We won't be officially moved in until we unpack this little man." He placed his hands on her large stomach.

Giggling, Haley shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it won't be long now, thank God. I am so ready to have him here with us, not to mention get rid of all this extra weight I'm carrying around."

"You don't like the extra weight?" he questioned.

She only glared at him.

Nathan smirked. "I'm only asking because I love it, Hales. You are so damn sexy when you're pregnant." He kissed her cheek and then down her jaw line until he made it to her neck. His hands were resting on her hips now.

"You know, if you keep feeding me that lie, I might just start believing it," Haley mumbled sarcastically. Still, her head moved to give him better access to her neck.

Nathan licked a long path along her throat before stopping to suck on her pulse point. Hearing a soft moan escape her lips, he smiled before pulling away. "I'm not lying, babe. Knowing that you're carrying my child inside of you is the biggest aphrodisiac for me."

Haley raised an eyebrow and licked her lips as he moved his to her ear. She felt him take her earlobe in his mouth and moaned again, running both her hands down his broad chest. "Okay," she whispered simply, losing almost every coherent thought she had.

"Okay what?" Nathan mumbled against her neck. He pulled away a moment later. "You're sexy, Haley."

"Okay," she repeated, pulling his lips down towards hers.

Nathan kissed her passionately but ended it again to look into her eyes. "I want to hear you say it," he demanded.

"Say what?" she asked, the fog still clouding her brain.

Nathan kissed her again while simultaneously pushing her backward until her back hit the wall of their new bedroom. His hands moved to her ass and squeezed gently before slipping under her shirt to rub slow circles on the small of her back. "That you're sexy," he breathed after pulling away. He trailed kisses down her neck and shoulder before moving to her chest. He kissed the tops of her breasts which could be seen because of the small tank top she was wearing. It barely covered her belly, in fact.

"Nathan," Haley half-mumbled, half-moaned.

He knew that she was trying to protest. Haley had been so self-conscious during this pregnancy, and she hadn't been that way with Jamie. He knew it was probably because of everything she had been through with Dane, and although he didn't want to pressure her she needed to know how beautiful she was to him and to the rest of the world. "Say it," he ordered again, more forcefully this time.

Haley sighed as her hands found his belt buckle. "Okay, I'm sexy," she relented breathlessly. He was already making her feel amazing, and their clothes weren't even off yet. It never ceased to awe her.

"That doesn't sound like you believe it," Nathan muttered as he nibbled on her shoulder.

Haley remained silent until he lifted her tank top over her head and quickly undid the clasp of her bra. He demanded she say it again before taking a breast in his mouth. She threw her head back against the wall, knowing she had to say it. He was making her feel too good for her to refuse him anything. "I'm sexy," she said again through a moan.

Nathan pulled away from her chest and smiled. "That's better," he whispered. A moment later his lips were on hers again as he told her, "Now I can show you just how sexy I think you are."

* * *

"Oh, my God," Brooke cooed. "He is the cutest baby I've ever seen."

Haley raised an eyebrow at her as she held her son in her arms.

"Right alongside Jamie is what she meant," Lucas added quickly. He smiled at his best friend. "He really is beautiful, Hales."

With a smile, Haley looked back down to her baby boy. "I know," she replied as his fist wrapped around one of her fingers.

Brooke wiped her eyes as a few tears escaped. "Where is your fiancé anyways? Shouldn't he be here?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "He left about an hour ago. Jamie needed to go home to change and eat, but they'll be back soon."

"I'll bet Jamie's loving this, huh?" Lucas guessed.

Haley nodded, never taking her eyes off of her new son. "He is so cute with him, you guys. Hopefully there's no hostility when we bring him home, but I really don't think the whole jealousy thing will be a problem for us. He loves him so much."

Brooke nodded in understanding. "It's impossible not to. He's such a little ham."

"He is," Lucas agreed. "I mean, he's not as hot as his Uncle Lucas, but what did you expect?"

Haley let out a light laugh and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"So you guys went with Patrick, huh?" Brooke inquired. Discussions about the baby's name had been going on all day long, and up until about an hour ago he had simply been Baby Boy Scott.

"Yep," Haley answered, looking up at them briefly. She just couldn't tear her eyes away from him for longer than a second. She found herself getting lost in his beautiful blue eyes, and even when they were closed she had to look at him. He looked so much like Nathan; it was bizarre. Everything was his father except for his hair, which was a light blonde color. It would most likely darken with age, but Haley hoped it stayed the same. It made his eyes so much brighter. "Patrick Lee Scott."

Lucas smiled. "It's perfect, Haley."

Looking up again, Haley returned his smile. "Thanks, Luke."

Haley didn't even notice their farewells; she was too lost in her son. It still amazed her how she could feel so much love for such a little tiny person that she just met. It had felt the same way in high school when she had Jamie, and the unconditional love she had for him had never wavered. She knew it wouldn't with Patrick either. Her three boys were her world.

* * *

Nathan was the last to enter the house. Haley's bag was in one hand, and his son was being cradled in his other arm. As soon as he hit the door, he dropped her bag and kicked the door shut with his foot. The action was done quietly, so as not to wake his sleeping baby. He, too, was mesmerized by his son. He recognized both himself and Haley in his features, but he knew his genes took prominence in Patrick.

Making his way through the house they'd moved into only two weeks prior, Nathan finally arrived in the living room. Haley was sitting in the middle of the couch with her legs curled up under her. Her head was resting on the back of the couch, and her eyes were closed. "Baby," Nathan called to get her attention.

Haley's eyes snapped open, and she lifted her head to look at her fiancé. A smile instantly graced her features; it happened every time she saw Nathan with Jamie or Patrick. "Hi," she greeted him. A second later she stood up and crossed the room until she was directly in front of him. As he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she curled hers around his waist. Her free hand came up to stroke her son's cheek lovingly.

"Why don't you get a nap in?" Nathan suggested. "And before you say it, I'm not taking no for an answer. You barely slept at all while you were in the hospital, and it's not good. I know you're tired."

Haley sighed. "Of course I'm tired, but-"

"No buts," he interrupted her. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and then pulled back to smile at her. "I've got our boys for the next few hours. You rest, and then we can all hang out together."

Closing her eyes briefly, Haley nodded. She really was exhausted. "Okay, thank you." She leaned up to kiss his lips softly. When it was over, she placed a kiss on the top of Patrick's head and then headed toward the stairs, turning her head to smile at them once.

A moment later, Jamie entered the living room and found his dad sitting on the couch with his brother in his arms. "Can I hold him again?" he asked eagerly, sitting down next to his father.

Nathan smiled. "Of course you can." Slowly and gently, he transferred his younger son into the elder one's waiting arms. "Be careful with his head," he reminded Jamie.

Jamie smiled widely down at his brother. "This is so cool," he commented. Leaning down, he placed a kiss on the baby's forehead.

"You know, I still remember when you were that little," Nathan said.

"Was I as cute as Patrick?" Jamie asked, looking up.

Nathan chuckled and nodded his head. "Of course you were. All of us Scott men are cute."

"Do you think this is the only brother I'll ever have?" was Jamie's next question.

His father's brow furrowed, surprised at the inquiry. "I don't know, Jame. Maybe not. We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

Haley woke up a few hours later and slowly made her way out of bed. She was still exhausted, but the promise of some quality time with her boys had her awfully excited. She made her way downstairs, and her jaw dropped at the sight before her. It was just too damn cute. Nathan was sprawled out lazily on the couch, and Jamie was on the opposite end. Both were asleep, as was her other son who lay on Nathan's chest. Nathan's large hands were holding him in place.

The scene was too perfect for her to risk ruining it by waking them up, so Haley took a seat on the couch across from theirs and grabbed her iPod off of the coffee table. She placed the ear buds in her ears and continued to watch them as the music filled her ears.

Later that evening, once Jamie was all tucked in, Haley laid Patrick down in his crib. He was sleeping for the time being, but she didn't know how long that would last. Jamie had been a fairly easy baby, so she figured her second son would probably make up for some of that. She sang to him even though he was already asleep, and when she was finished she crossed the hall to her and Nathan's room. Her fiancé was lying on the bed with his ankles crossed and his hands laced together over his stomach.

"Hello, man I love," she greeted him with a smile. She crawled into bed and immediately snuggled close to him.

Nathan's long arms wrapped around her figure as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo. "I hope you're talking to me," he murmured sarcastically.

Haley giggled, running a finger up and down his naked chest. "This is perfect," she whispered.

"Almost," Nathan corrected her. "It'll be perfect once you're my wife again." He paused before continuing. "When will that be anyways? You've made me wait five months already."

Haley hadn't wanted to have the wedding while she was pregnant. It's not that she really cared what she looked like, but she just wanted to take it slowly and focus on one thing at a time. She'd informed Nathan that after Patrick was born they would get married. She couldn't wait to call him her husband again either. "I don't know," she replied quietly. "Brooke's pretty much planned it all, so we just have to pick a date. I'm thinking in a few weeks once we get into a steady routine here."

Nathan nodded, rubbing a hand up and down her arm slowly. "Sounds good."

They lay in stilled silence for several minutes before Haley moved herself so she was lying on top of him. She brought her lips to his in a slow, gentle kiss. When she pulled away she kept her eyes locked on his dark blue ones. "You're amazing," she whispered. "And I love you…for everything that you do."

Nathan brought a hand up to cup her cheek while the other stayed firmly planted around her small body. "I love you, too, babe," he answered in the same quiet voice. "But you're the amazing one. I don't know how you always stay so strong through everything. You're my rock." He paused to kiss her again. "And you've given me the world. I could not love our boys more, and you gave them to me. So thank you."

Haley leaned forward and pressed her lips against his again, this time slipping her tongue past his lips. Hers tangled with his for several minutes before she pulled away breathlessly. "If I remember correctly, you had a little something to do with that, too," she whispered into his ear.

"A little something?" he questioned with a smirk. "Hales, I think you know that there's nothing little about me."

Haley blushed as she placed kisses all over his neck and chest. "Someone's a little cocky, huh?" she teased.

Nathan flipped them over gently and kissed her as he pressed his arousal into her lower half. "I'd say so," he mumbled into her lips.

Haley giggled, running her hands up and down his sides. "You shouldn't have gotten yourself all worked up," she chided. "You know we can't have sex for another month and a half."

He groaned at her reminder. "Damn it," he cursed. "Fucking doctors." He rolled off of her and onto his back, letting out a sigh of frustration.

Trying not to laugh at his adorable pout, Haley moved on top of him, letting her hand travel down his abs slowly. Once she reached the drawstring on his sweats, she undid it slowly, never breaking their eye contact. She kissed him hotly, stroking him through his pants. "I think there are other ways for me to help you out," she whispered after pulling away.

Nathan smirked as he watched her travel down his body. Her hands found the waistband of his sweats and pushed them down his legs along with his boxers. He kicked them completely off and felt her hands grip his thighs as she lowered her head until her mouth was wrapped firmly around him. "Jesus," he groaned, his hands moving to become tangled in her locks.

Haley smirked against him as she licked her way back up his shaft. She teased his head before taking him fully into her mouth again and beginning to move on him.

Nathan's eyes shut tight before he remembered how fucking sexy she looked right now. He opened them again and watched her in ecstasy as she traced her way back up his member, using her teeth to tease him. "Fuck, Hales," he mumbled. "I'm not going to last long." He was surprised he was even able to get the words out, as there was not a single coherent thought running through his mind at the moment. The pleasure he was feeling was way too intense for something like that. Resisting the urge to thrust up into her mouth, he moved his hands from her hair onto the bed and gripped the sheets tight. "Oh, God," he moaned. "I'm about…Hales, I'm about…" The rest of his words died on his lips as he exploded into her mouth. He let out another low groan as he gripped the sheets tighter.

Haley licked her lips and smiled, moving back up his body. She kissed him forcefully, pushing her tongue into his mouth. "Better?" she asked with an eyebrow raised after pulling away.

"Yes," he answered immediately. "So much fucking better, baby."

She smiled and was about to reply when she heard crying from the baby monitor. "And so it begins," she mumbled as she stood up from the bed. She turned her head to smile at him once before exiting the room and going to comfort her son.

Ten minutes later she returned to her and Nathan's bedroom. She got under the covers with him and snuggled into his side. "I'm surprised you're not already asleep," she commented, stifling a yawn.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not that you didn't totally wear me out, but I wanted to wait for you." He paused and watched as she turned her head to look at him. "I just want you to know that I'm happy. Our family makes me happy, Hales, and there's no place else I'd rather be than right here…with you in my arms."

Haley smiled, blinking back tears of joy as she gazed up at him. "I'm happy too, Nathan," she whispered. They shared a brief kiss before resettling in each other's arms and drifting off to sleep.

Nathan knew one thing: he would never, under any circumstances, leave his family again.


End file.
